'The Family Could Not Have Avoided This': 3 MI Kids Die After Tree Falls On Car: Sheriff

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI — The three family members who died after a tree fell onto their minivan during a severe storm in west Michigan were small children, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office.

The dead include a 2-year-old girl, her 4-year-old brother and an 11-year-old girl who was their cousin, according to officials.

Officials did not release their names but said all three were from Branch County.

Three more members of the same family were injured and taken to a nearby hospital, where one was listed in critical condition and two more in stable condition, according to officials.

The incident happened at 5:41 p.m. Sunday on East S Avenue, just west of South 47th Street in Climax Township, which is roughly 20 miles southeast of Kalamazoo, according to officials.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller told reporters during a news conference Monday afternoon that the family was driving into Kalamazoo County to visit relatives when the "very large" tree fell onto the minivan.

Fuller said the tree landed across the middle of the minivan behind the driver's door where all the children were seated and did extensive damage. He said the tree went deep into the van and stretched across two lanes of traffic.

"There is no standing up to this tree. Given the volume of the tree, the weight of the tree and where it struck, there is no vehicle that would stand up to this," Fuller said. "The family could not have avoided this."

The incident happened as severe storms pummelled Michigan over the weekend, leaving more than 180,000 without power across the state.

A GoFundMe account has been created to support the family.