- 9-year-old and 2-year-old siblings killed by CO poisoning in casino garage
- Family of 7 lived in vehicle after losing temporary housing
- City admits missed opportunities to assist family before tragedy
New autopsy findings have upended initial theories about the deaths of two Detroit children found unresponsive in a parked van during subzero temperatures. While first responders suspected fatal hypothermia, toxicology reports confirm carbon monoxide toxicity as the true killer – a silent threat that claims 430 accidental U.S. deaths annually according to CDC data.
The Currie family’s van had been parked in a heated casino garage for three consecutive days when the tragedy occurred. Vehicle exhaust systems in enclosed spaces can create lethal CO concentrations within minutes, a risk compounded by aging automotive infrastructure in low-income communities. Detroit’s aging vehicle fleet averages 14.7 years old compared to the national 12.5-year average.
Social service records reveal multiple systemic failures preceding the incident. Despite a November housing assistance request from the children’s mother, Detroit’s Housing Services Office closed the case after 72 hours without follow-up – a practice now banned under emergency reforms. The city’s homeless population has grown 17% since 2020, with families accounting for 34% of unsheltered residents.
Mayor Duggan’s new protocols mirror Chicago’s successful HOME program, which reduced vehicle-dwelling homelessness by 41% through mobile outreach teams. Detroit will now deploy police thermal scanners during winter patrols to detect occupied vehicles, coupled with real-time shelter bed tracking through a centralized dispatch system.
Automotive safety advocates emphasize that CO detectors remain uncommon in personal vehicles, despite being standard in RVs and boats. Aftermarket detectors start at $25 – a cost-prohibitive expense for 68% of Detroiters living below the poverty line. Proposed state legislation could mandate CO sensors in all new Michigan vehicle sales by 2026.