A Vicksburg teen’s death has been ruled accidental due to inhaling gasoline fumes, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said. His mother said she hopes the tragedy will make more parents aware.

The toxicology report showed the death of Tyler Townsend, who was 14, was &#8220consistent with inhalation of volatile hydrocarbon,” Huskey said.

&#8220It was accidental,” he added, saying no indications existed showing Tyler intended to harm himself.

The practice is called &#8220huffing” and can involve inhaling other volatile substances. Medical journals say 12- to 14-year-olds are most susceptible.

The most common cause of death from huffing is sudden cardiac arrest, but edema or swelling of the brain is also a consequence.

A 1989 story in Human Toxicology said about 22 percent of those who die from huffing do so the first time they try it.

An autopsy by Dr. Steven Hayne, the state’s chief forensic pathologist, showed no external or internal injuries, making the toxicology study crucial.

Townsend was found face-down outside his house at 15015 U.S. 61 South just before 5 p.m. by his mother, Michel Townsend, who said she immediately tried to resuscitate him and was joined by family members until paramedics arrived.

Efforts to revive the teen failed at the scene and he was pronounced dead at River Region Medical Center.

Townsend’s mother said he was &#8220a great child who had normal problems.”

&#8220He had never been a drug-user,” she said. &#8220I just wasn’t aware of this. I only smelled gas on him one time, and he told me he had used diesel to start a fire. I told him the dangers of dealing with that stuff.”

Tyler, his mother said, came home from school at 3:40 and, later, put their dogs in a pen. She said he had not been outside more than 8 minutes when she found him.

&#8220I walked outside to give him my cell phone, and I found him face-down in the grass. I thought we were protecting our child from the wrong things and wrong people.”

She said she suspects Tyler may have been inadvertently inhaling gas fumes at Vicksburg Junior High School, where he was a student.

&#8220I just want to make parents aware this stuff is in schools pretty bad,” she said. &#8220I’m not saying he was doing it at school; he wasn’t huffing. But there are problems in the junior highs because the kids are talking about it big time.”