Police said a faulty exhaust system was found on the vehicle where three people were found dead in northern Alberta earlier this month.
The mechanical inspection lead police to believe that exhaust may have leaked into the vehicle’s cabin.
The Jan. 22 release from Wood Buffalo RCMP didn’t say anything about cause of death, but the family of one of the three victims told Global News earlier this month, that the medical examiner said the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Tanisha Peterson, 22, has been identified as one of three young adults found dead in a vehicle near Conklin, Alta. on Tuesday afternoon. Peterson’s mother told Global News the medical examiner told her the cause of her daughter’s death was carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, police were called to the Laguna Access Road where a vehicle was stopped on the road.
The 29-year-old man in the driver’s seat was unresponsive, as were two passengers in the vehicle, a 21-year-old woman and a 22-year-old woman.
READ MORE: 3 people found dead inside car in northern Alberta
Emergency first aid was provided, according to police, but all three were declared dead at the scene and police said they are still investigating what happened and have yet to release a cause of death.
A friend of the 21-year-old woman who died has identified her as Tristan Dave-Lawrence. The identity of the 29-year-old man who died has not been released.
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On Monday, RCMP added no further updates about the investigation would be provided.
READ MORE: 2 victims identified after 3 people found dead in vehicle in northern Alberta
The tragedy came less than one month after two Drayton Valley teens died after being found unconscious in an idling vehicle in late December.
Shaina Ridenour, 16, was found with Gage Bogart, 17, at around 3:30 a.m. Dec. 21. Ridenour was pronounced dead at the hospital. Bogart, who was in the driver’s seat, was taken to hospital in Edmonton in critical condition and died late on Christmas Day.
READ MORE: Second Alberta teen dies after being found unconscious in idling car
An inspection of the vehicle found a “faulty exhaust system component” may have caused exhaust to enter the idling vehicle.
An Edmonton mechanic suggests drivers routinely get their exhaust systems checked when swapping tires or getting an oil change.
Jim Johnston, owner of JimmyJ’s Custom Exhaust and Manufacturing, told Global News the exhaust flex pipe that comes off a vehicle’s engine can be damaged over time due to wear and tear.
“They do break. They create holes. Hard to hear. The fumes that come out of there are odourless, nobody knows,” he said. “It’s a simple, easy, quick check. Put your mind to rest, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
With files from Phil Heidenreich and Sarah Kraus, Global News and Kirby Bourne, 630 CHED
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