DETROIT — Authorities have confirmed that the tragic deaths of two Detroit children in a van during frigid temperatures were due to carbon monoxide poisoning rather than exposure to the cold. The incident involved 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and his 2-year-old sister, A’millah Currie, who were found unresponsive on February 10, leading investigators to initially suspect cold weather as the cause.
The children were among five siblings and two adults staying in a van parked in a casino garage, part of a family facing homelessness. The Wayne County medical examiner, Dr. LokMan Sung, declared the cause of death as carbon monoxide toxicity, with the manner ruled an accident.
In light of this tragedy, city officials are investigating how the family fell through the social services safety net. The children’s mother had reported on November 25 that their temporary housing was ending, but a follow-up was not conducted, as stated by Mayor Mike Duggan.
In response to this incident, Duggan announced new policies to prevent future tragedies, which include mandatory in-person visits for families facing housing loss, establishing a 24-hour hotline, and implementing police checks of parked vehicles. Mayor Duggan emphasized the importance of ensuring that such a tragedy does not occur again.
