I recently did an article about a couple found dead in a modified vehicle after inhaling carbon monoxide. Unfortunately, this has happened once again in almost the exact same way. At around 8 a.m. on March 16th, police received a phone call about a suspicious vehicle. When they responded, they found two teens deceased within the vehicle. They were brought to the hospital, but were pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m.

Upon further investigation the police that the manifold of the 01’ Camry wasn’t connected to the exhaust tailpipe. This caused the exhaust to empty into the engine compartment instead of the tailpipe and filled the entire vehicle with carbon monoxide. The teen who owned the car had done some do-it-yourself work on the vehicle and failed to properly reconnected all the parts.

A carbon monoxide level of 30 ppm is considered hazardous. When police tested the vehicle upon arrival, the level was up to 1180 ppm, which is extremely fatal. While the car was in motion, the air flow allowed the exhaust to stay out of the vehicle. One the car had pulled over and was left running, the lack of air current caused the entire vehicle to fill up. Police have ruled out any foul play and firmly believe both deaths were accidental.

Please make sure that if you intend to do any modifications to your car, you know exactly what you are doing. If you feel as though you might not get it exactly right, bring it to a shop or call in a professional. I promise that the extra money you’ll have to spend will be far less valuable than your own life.