The FDNY says two young girls were hospitalized in the Bronx after they passed out breathing carbon monoxide gas inside their snow-clogged car.
The girls, ages 4 and 7, were inside the car with the engine running Thursday afternoon to keep warm as their mother dug the car out of the snow after a massive storm blanketed the city, according to the FDNY.
The mother's neighbor, Juan Rodriguez, told NBCNewYork he warned her keeping the kids in the car while she shoveled was dangerous, but she didn't take him seriously.
"I seen the kids playing inside," said Rodriguez. "... so I told them listen its very dangerous because you didn't clear out the muffler and she was on the phone and said oh ok alright so I left. Then when I come back I see the cameras and they told me the two girls were in the hospital because of that ...and that could've been avoided."
Neighbor Lanyn Kamara saw what happened, "I found the kids with their mother on the floor ...she was crying help help and suddenly the ambulance came and took all of them out."
The FDNY says emergency crews responded two minutes after they were called to the scene and immediately began respiratory work.
The girls were transported to separate hospitals in critical condition, but fire officials say they were alert and crying, which was a good sign.
