New Hampshire Woman Dies After Electricity Cutoff

A woman in southern New Hampshire died Thursday following the cutoff of electricity to her home by the private utility company National Grid. Kay Phaneuf, 53, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), relied on an oxygen machine plugged into the electrical power.

Last Monday at 9 a.m., a National Grid worker showed up at the Phaneuf home at 18 Charles Street in Salem, New Hampshire. A red sign on the door read, "No smoking, oxygen in use." After knocking on the door and ringing the bell, and receiving no response, the worker cut off the electricity and left.'

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