Two children in Detroit who were found dead in a van during below-freezing temperatures died from carbon monoxide poisoning, not from exposure to the cold, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
Initially, police believed that 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and 2-year-old A’millah Currie had succumbed to the freezing temperatures while inside an unheated vehicle on February 10. However, the Wayne County medical examiner, Dr. LokMan Sung, determined that the cause of death was carbon monoxide toxicity, and their deaths were ruled accidental.
The tragedy occurred while the family, consisting of five children and two adults, was living in a van parked inside a casino garage. The family had been experiencing homelessness, and officials are now reviewing whether they had fallen through gaps in the city’s social services.
According to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, the children’s mother had reached out to the city on November 25, stating that their temporary housing was ending soon. However, no follow-up occurred, and the mother did not make another call to seek further assistance.
In response to the incident, Detroit officials have implemented new policy changes aimed at preventing similar tragedies. These measures include in-person visits for families reporting the imminent loss of housing, a 24-hour hotline, and increased police checks of parked vehicles.
Mayor Duggan emphasized the importance of these changes, stating that such a situation should never happen again. City officials are now working to strengthen communication and intervention efforts for vulnerable families facing housing insecurity.
