Third child dies after being exposed to carbon monoxide in vehicle pulled over for flat tire

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) — Another child has died after exposure to carbon monoxide in a vehicle in Ohio, officials said.

The update Thursday brings the death toll to four, including three children and one adult.

One more child remains hospitalized.

Toledo police said officers received a call Wednesday at about 11 a.m. reporting five unconscious people in a Ford Explorer on the side of a roadway.

A spokesperson for Toledo Fire and Rescue said an adult in the vehicle called the children’s father, saying they had a flat tire. When the father arrived at the scene, he found everyone unconscious.

City of Toledo spokesperson Rachel Hart said the victims were a grandmother and her grandchildren. She said the woman had called her son for help with the flat tire before he found their bodies.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz issued a statement Wednesday afternoon confirming the tragedy.

“Our hearts are with this family as they face an unimaginable loss ... We also extend our gratitude to the first responders, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers who responded swiftly and did everything they could under incredibly difficult circumstances,” Kapszukiewicz said.

The mayor said that foul play is not suspected, but there will be a thorough investigation to determine what happened.

The presence of carbon monoxide was confirmed in the Ford Explorer. Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said investigators started the vehicle with the doors closed and a meter inside.

“We had a high spike of carbon monoxide inside the passenger compartment on that vehicle,” Armstrong said in a phone interview.

She said the vehicle was towed by police.

“They’re going to have to do some further investigation to see if they can identify how does that happen,” Armstrong said. “I think that’s an important piece of this that people want to know, and they should know for everybody’s safety.”