Unfortunately, a Texas family mourns the loss of a beloved father and police officer. Allegedly, his Ford Explorer police interceptor was leaking carbon monoxide. The family claims this killed him, but the automaker won the case. Now, family members want a new trial. 

Family of deceased police officer demands new Ford Explorer trial 

A Texas family wants to take Ford back to court over alleged carbon monoxide defects in Ford Explorer police interceptors. This comes after the automaker won the first trial. 

Allegedly, Jeremy Bellamy was killed due to the problem. He was on duty in a 2019 Explorer inceptor when he parked on a neighborhood street. According to Car Complaints, a civilian found him unconscious and unresponsive, so they called for help. 

The police report indicates that Bellamy rolled down his window and told the civilian that he was fine. Ford claims he was asleep due to high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and a painkiller addiction. 

He was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning and pneumonia. Bellamy followed a lawsuit claiming that the Explorer built and modded by Ford poisoned him due to a defect. 

Ford shared, “Bellamy must show an unreasonably dangerous defect that caused his injuries.” The judge agreed that there was sufficient evidence of design defects, but the jury sided with Ford. 

Bellamy died a week after the trial concluded. His cause of death was listed as high blood pressure and heart disease. The family alleges that his lawsuit was filed when multiple other lawsuits claimed Ford SUVs were causing carbon monoxide poisoning. 

However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigated Explorer SUVs. Research and testing determined that Explorer Inceptors did not cause elevated carbon monoxide levels inside the cabins.