BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The vehicle at the center of a death investigation could fill with deadly levels of carbon monoxide in minutes, investigators found.
On Tuesday, a 38-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter were found unresponsive in a car parked inside the Maplewood Mobile Home Park on Tuesday. Both were declared dead at the scene.
A day later, the Kent County Medical Examiner ruled their deaths as accidental from carbon monoxide asphyxiation.
Family identified the two as Nicole Moore and her daughter Kyli Dodge.
Kentwood Wyoming Byron Center
Family identifies mom and daughter killed in accidental carbon monoxide incident
Detectives from the Kent County Sheriff's Office teamed up with the Byron Township Fire Department to look into how the woman's car filled with carbon monoxide. Investigators initially pointed to the vehicle's flooring and exhaust system, both of which showed extensive wear and tear.
Testing revealed the car could fill will extremely high levels of carbon monoxide when parked and left running. In fact, the amount was so high, it exceeded the department's carbon monoxide meter's maximum of 2,000 parts per million.
For context, the Byron Township Fire Department evacuates buildings when carbon monoxide levels reach 35 parts per million. Firefighters also must use air masks at that level.
The sheriff's office encouraged anyone experiencing a hardship to reach out for help by calling 211 to be connected with housing, health, and support services in Kent County.
