What should have been a routine stop to deal with a flat tire on a Toledo street ended in unthinkable tragedy, as five members of the same family died after carbon monoxide filled their Ford Explorer, according to relatives and city officials.
Emergency crews were called to the 300 block of Phillips Avenue shortly after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, where they found five people unresponsive inside the parked SUV. Three were pronounced dead at the scene, and two children were rushed to area hospitals in critical condition, The Associated Press reported. Investigators later detected a dangerous spike of carbon monoxide inside the passenger compartment. Authorities say the deaths appear to be accidental, and foul play is not suspected.
Family members have identified the victims as Stone “Stoner” Coleman, 2, Storm “Butterfly” Coleman, 3, Liberty “Peach” Coleman, 4, Legacy “Ace” Coleman, 4, and their grandmother, Candace “Big Mama/Kandie” McAllister, 36, according to WTVG/13abc. Relatives told the station the children’s father arrived after getting a call about a flat tire and found everyone inside unresponsive. All five were transported to local hospitals.
By Friday, family members said Legacy had been taken off life support, bringing the death toll to five, The Blade reported. Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz wrote on social media that the city was praying for the grieving family and promised that investigators would keep working to determine how carbon monoxide entered the SUV’s cabin.
What Investigators Found
Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said crews restarted the Ford Explorer with the doors closed and placed a meter inside to test the air. The device showed readings consistent with hazardous carbon monoxide exposure, and the SUV was towed for more extensive testing, she told The Associated Press.
Armstrong recalled a “very similar” past case in which exhaust seeped into a vehicle’s cabin through holes in the floorboards. Officials in this incident say additional work is needed to pinpoint the exact failure point that allowed the gas to accumulate inside the Explorer.
Federal Safety Probe Into Explorers
The Toledo tragedy has renewed attention on a long-running federal review of exhaust odors in Ford Explorers. In a closing report on that inquiry, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it examined more than 6,500 consumer complaints and performed both field and laboratory testing. The agency closed its six-year investigation in January 2023 after determining that measured carbon monoxide levels inside Explorers “fall below current accepted health standards” for occupants in general, while noting that sealing problems tied to after-market “upfitting” or crash damage could create higher readings, according to NHTSA.
How To Protect Your Family
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death. Early symptoms often include headache, dizziness, nausea and confusion, according to the CDC. Because the gas is impossible to detect by smell or sight, health officials stress the importance of prevention.
The CDC recommends installing carbon monoxide detectors in homes, having vehicle exhaust systems inspected if occupants ever smell fumes, never running a vehicle in an attached garage, and avoiding idling when a tailpipe could be blocked by snow, mud or other debris.
As investigators work to understand how the family’s Explorer became saturated with carbon monoxide, the community has started to rally around the Colemans and McAllisters. Local coverage reports that a Coleman-McAllister fund and a donations account at Fifth Third Bank have been set up to help with funeral and related family expenses, according to The Blade.
Police and fire officials say the investigation remains active and have urged anyone with information, or with similar concerns about vehicle exhaust entering the cabin, to contact Toledo police. As the case unfolds, a devastated city is left searching for answers alongside a family now facing an almost unimaginable loss.
