Two friends have died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK after sitting in a modified Ford Fiesta ST.
An inquest recently heard that 20-year-old Tom Putt and 23-year-old Nikki Willis were found dead in Putt’s Fiesta last December. It was revealed that Putt had modified his hot hatch by removing the catalytic converter and installing custom air vents in the bonnet.
It was discovered that the two friends died due to a small gap between the exhaust and engine which caused toxic fumes to seep out of the bonnet air vents before being sucked in by vents underneath the windscreen wipers.
According to Detective Inspector Robert Kirby, “A unique set of events came together to allow this tragic incident to happen. A gap in the exhaust system where the exhaust meets the engine allowed fumes to escape.
“Compounded by the fact the car had had its catalytic converter removed (which normally dissipates harmful emissions). Vents underneath the windscreen wipers then in-took the emissions from the gaps in the bonnet.”
The Telegraph reports that locals heard Putt’s car running at approximately 4:30 am and that the alarm was raised at 10:30 am. Both deaths were ruled accidents and post-mortem results concluded that the two had died due to the inhalation of exhaust fumes including carbon monoxide.
Opening image via Tom Putt’s Instagram.
A post shared by Tom Putt (@tomdjputt96) on Nov 22, 2016 at 2:54pm PST