Michigan mother and her two daughters died after she drove their car into a river. Police believe it was intentional.
A Michigan mother and her twin daughters died after she drove her car into the Kalamazoo River in what is suspected to be an intentional act, police said Tuesday.
The bodies of the 44-year-old woman and one of her 9-year-old daughters were found Monday evening after the car was found submerged in the river.
The other daughter’s body was recovered Tuesday morning with the assistance of the Michigan State Police Dive Team, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas said.
Authorities said they responded to a 911 call Monday evening after passers-by saw two girls crying on the side of the road. The passers-by called police.
The girls told officers that they had previously been inside the car with the woman and her twins, but were let out of the vehicle. They told officers that the woman had driven her car into the river.
A motive has not yet been determined
The two girls were reunited with an uncle. Both girls are related to the 44-year-old woman, but it’s not yet clear what their specific familial connection is, Thomas said.
“I’ve been here over 25 years. We’ve never had an incident like this,” Thomas told CNN.
Investigators believe the act was intentional.
“We do not believe this was an accident,” Thomas said, noting the river is not easily accessible in the area where the car was found submerged. “You have to purposefully drive your car into that area.”
A motive has not yet been determined and the investigation is ongoing. Police are withholding the names of the victims until they are positively identified and family members have been notified.
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