A suspected carbon monoxide poisoning incident inside a vehicle parked along a road in northwest Ohio on Wednesday left one adult and three children dead, while another child remains hospitalized in critical condition, officials said.
First responders were dispatched to the 300 block of Phillips Avenue in Toledo around 11:10 a.m. after receiving reports that several people were unconscious inside the vehicle, according to a statement from the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department that was shared with NTD via email.
Emergency crews rendered medical aid at the scene before transporting the five occupants, including four children, to a local hospital. Officials initially said three of the victims—an adult and two children—were later pronounced dead. However, a spokesperson for the Toledo Police Department told NTD that a third child succumbed to their injuries on Thursday.
Authorities have not released the identities or ages of those involved. However, City of Toledo spokesperson Rachel Hart said the group included a grandmother and her four grandchildren.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said in a statement on Wednesday that the family had pulled over after getting a flat tire.
Hart said the grandmother’s son had discovered his family members inside the vehicle, a dark-colored Ford Explorer, when he arrived to the location after being called for help. It was not immediately clear whether he was the father of the children.
A Toledo police officer sets up a police line while responding to a hazardous material call in Toledo, Ohio, on July 15, 2026. Alex Bracken/The Blade via AP
Fire and rescue officials told NTD that the department’s Hazardous Materials Team did respond to the scene and determined the area was safe for first responders. The cause of the incident remains under investigation, but foul play is not currently suspected.
Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said testing showed “a high spike of carbon monoxide inside the passenger compartment” of the vehicle.
Toledo’s mayor said police will conduct a thorough investigation to determine exactly what occurred to “provide the family with the answers they deserve.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
