A heartbreaking tragedy in Toledo has left a young mother shattered after four children and their grandmother died from suspected carbon monoxide exposure while trapped inside a car with a flat tire.
The devastating incident happened Wednesday, July 15, on the 300 block of Phillips Avenue in Toledo, Ohio, where police and firefighters initially responded to what authorities described as an “active hazmat incident.”
The victims were identified as 4-year-old Liberty, 3-year-old Storm, 4-year-old Legacy, 2-year-old Stone, and their grandmother, 36-year-old Candace McAllister, according to local outlet WTVG, which cited the Toledo Police Department.
For their mother, Adriana Coleman, the loss is almost too painful to comprehend.
“They all had so much personality in life and were so full of love,” Coleman told WTVG. “They were far beyond their years, for sure.”
“Everything I did was for my kids,” she added. “It seems so surreal now because life has stopped for me right now. I’m here, but I have no idea what’s going to happen after I walk out these hospital doors. I just want my babies.”
Authorities said the nightmare began after the vehicle got a flat tire. McAllister reportedly called the children’s father for help after the tire went flat. When he arrived at the scene, he found all five people unconscious inside the vehicle and immediately called emergency services.
First responders rushed to the scene and began performing life-saving measures as the situation quickly turned into a hazmat response.
“They started rendering life-saving treatments to all the patients as we called more crews to the scene and had a hazmat response because we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said, according to WTVG.
Investigators later discovered just how dangerous the conditions inside the vehicle may have been.
“The detective said when they put their meter in the car to test the carbon monoxide levels, the level was five times the lethal limit,” Coleman told WTVG.
Carbon monoxide is especially deadly because it is colorless and odorless, making it nearly impossible to detect without a working alarm or specialized equipment. According to the Mayo Clinic, carbon monoxide poisoning happens when the gas builds up in the blood and replaces oxygen in the red blood cells, which can lead to serious tissue damage or death.
Toledo Police said foul play is not currently suspected, but officials are continuing to investigate exactly what happened.
“Our thoughts continue to be with the family and loved ones affected by this heartbreaking tragedy,” Toledo Police spokesperson Sgt. Mohamad Nasser said in a statement obtained by WTVG.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz also addressed the tragedy in a statement shared on social media.
“Today, a family experienced a tragedy that no family should ever have to endure,” the mayor wrote. “Our hearts are with this family as they face an unimaginable loss.”
He added that while investigators do not currently suspect foul play, law enforcement will conduct a thorough investigation “to determine exactly what happened and provide the family with the answers they deserve.”
The family reportedly did not have life insurance and is now accepting donations to help cover funeral costs. Contributions can be made to the Coleman-McAllister Fund at any Fifth Third Bank location, according to WTVG.
For Coleman, the grief is still fresh, raw and almost unbearable. In a matter of moments, a routine roadside emergency turned into an unimaginable loss that claimed four young children and the grandmother who was with them.