Pregnant mum 'almost died' after car hit pothole and filled with fumes

A pregnant mum claimed she "almost died" after her car hit a pothole and filled with deadly fumes . Lucy Barnard, 26, had been driving home in Walney Island, in Cumbria, when her Ford Fiesta struck a pothole. Moments later, the carbon monoxide detector that was fitted in her car started to rise. The mum installed the detector after her brother Michael died from the gas back in 2023. After she arrived home with her partner Callum Legge, 25, along with their two children, she tested the exhaust for leaks by opening and closing the car windows. They were horrified to learn monoxide levels in the car were as high as 180 per million, which can be deadly. Speaking to The Sun , Lucy said: "It could have taken all of our lives. "We shot out of the car and haven’t used it since. We plan to scrap it, to fix it will cost almost as much as we bought it for so there was no point. "We also don’t feel comfortable if we did get it fixed, getting inside or somehow having it just in case it was to leak again." Lucy's brother Michael died aged 36 in August 2023 after the car he was in filled up with the deadly gas. Lucy, who is now six months pregnant, said it was devastating to have an experience similar to her own brother. The mum added she felt lucky to have the detector and that she followed her own advice of not travelling in a car unless it had one in. "If we didn't know it could have killed us," she added. "It's all a strange coincidence that it happened to my family. This just proves it can happen to anyone at any time in any car model." Lucy is now calling for greater awareness of carbon monoxide risks in vehicles, saying it could affect more people than initially thought, reports The Sun . Cars do not legally need to carry carbon monoxide detectors but Lucy is keen to change the law. She started a petition last year that needs 100,000 signatures in order to be considered by Parliament and potentially debated. Lucy said she believes there could be more deaths if it is not addressed. The NHS warns carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, meaning it can be hard to tell if it is around you. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: a headache dizziness feeling sick or being sick feeling weak tiredness and confusion chest and muscle pain shortness of breath your face turning hot and red (flushing) – but redness may be harder to see on brown and black skin loss of vision