UPDATE: Hazmat mystery — woman dies, three police officers released from hospital

By the Daily Post staff

UPDATE, Monday, 5 a.m.: A woman in her 50s has died possibly from an unknown substance found in her SUV in Palo Alto.

Someone called 911 at 7:44 p.m. on Friday to report that a woman was face down by a vehicle and not breathing at the Shell station at 3601 El Camino Real, police said.

The incident prompted a two-hour hazmat response from dozens of firefighters from Palo Alto and Mountain View.

The woman and three officers were taken to the emergency room at Stanford Hospital.

The three officers were released from the hospital Friday and they’re fine, according to police Capt. James Reifschneider. But he said the woman died at the hospital. She hasn’t been publicly identified; police don’t even have a city of residence for her yet.

Reifschneider said police don’t know what the substance was, but there is no indication the substance was an illegal street drug, such as fentanyl.

Police do not believe this was a criminal incident.

Reifschneider said it is possible the death was either a suicide or an accident.

ORIGINAL REPORT, Friday, 11 p.m.: A woman and three police officers were hospitalized Friday night after they were exposed to a chemical in Palo Alto, police said.

Someone called 911 just before 8 p.m. to report that a woman was on the ground in obvious medical distress at the Shell station at 3601 El Camino Real, police said.

The incident led to a two-hour hazmat response by dozens of firefighters from Palo Alto and Mountain View.

The woman and police officers were taken to the emergency room at Stanford Hospital, and the Shell’s gas pumps were cordoned off by caution tape. The woman’s car, a white Acura SUV, remained parked at the pumps two hours after the incident was reported.

Police Lt. Brian Philip said the chemical will be tested. He also said he didn’t know what the woman’s condition was Friday night.