OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Four employees from a health care center are facing serious charges following the tragic death of a 5-year-old boy in a hyperbaric chamber explosion earlier this year. The incident took place at the Oxford Center in Troy on January 31, claiming the life of Thomas Cooper and injuring his mother.
The defendants—Tamela Peterson, 58, founder and CEO of the Oxford Center; Jeffrey Mosteller, 64, the safety manager; Gary Marken, 65, a primary management assistant; and Aleta Moffitt, 60, who allegedly operated the hyperbaric chamber—appeared in front of 52-4 District Court Judge Maureen McGinnis for a probable cause conference. The hearing was held on May 28.
Mosteller, Marken, and Moffitt appeared in person, while Peterson attended via Zoom due to a scheduling conflict. During the brief session, Judge McGinnis expressed a preference for in-person attendance to facilitate scheduling future hearings. A preliminary examination was tentatively set for September 15 and 16, although the court acknowledged that dates might change based on witness availability.
Before the preliminary examination can occur, several motion hearings will need to be conducted, delaying the legal proceedings. For now, the bond conditions for all four defendants will remain unchanged. This most recent court appearance follows a previous virtual hearing held on April 30, where attorneys discussed the need for an inspection of the Oxford Center and the hyperbaric chamber involved in the incident before proceeding.
The incident has raised questions about safety protocols within the facility. Peterson, Mosteller, and Marken face charges of second-degree murder, along with an alternative of involuntary manslaughter, allowing a jury to ultimately determine the appropriate charge. Moffitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records, as she was allegedly in control of the hyperbaric chamber during the explosion.
In the wake of the tragedy, the legal ramifications are complex, with prosecutors seeking to establish the extent of negligence involved. The outcome of this case could profoundly impact the regulatory landscape for hyperbaric facilities and their operational standards, as the community grapples with understanding how such an incident could occur.
As proceedings unfold, the public remains keenly interested in the factors leading up to the explosion, the safety measures in place at the health center, and the implications for patient care in similar medical environments.