Exhaust leak led to teens’ deaths in park

Police said there are no signs of foul play in the death of two 18-year-olds at Northeast Park in East Moline in November of last year. Their investigation showed Emily R. Molina and Nyah R. Unger died from carbon monoxide poisoning from an exhaust leak into the cabin of the car, and was ruled an accident.

The incident

In the early morning of Nov. 23, police found Molina and Unger unresponsive in a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban while doing conducting a park check. After trying to make contact with them, officers unlocked the vehicles from the outside.

The were sitting in the back seat and pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they determined the vehicle was running for several hours while the two appeared to be hanging out. Officers reported being able to smell the strong odor of exhaust as they approached the car.

The investigation

The vehicle was examined by a certified mechanic, who found there was an exhaust and muffler leak into the cabin, likely due to the age and condition of the car. A test performed MidAmerican showed the air inside the car had a deadly level of carbon monoxide within 15 minutes.

An exam done by Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson found both Molina and Unger died from acute carbon monoxide toxicity. There was no evidence of further trauma.