Investigators have not determined who was at fault but said the minivan was apparently struck by the car.
KALAMAZOO, MI — Police say they found no car seats at the scene of a minivan-car crash in which a 1-year-old was killed early Friday morning.
“They weren’t, ” Chief Jeff Hadley, of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, said when asked if the minivan was equipped with car seats. “We did not see any child restraint seats in the vehicle.”
Officers said Dasani Lynn Colbert, 1, of Kalamazoo, was killed when she was ejected from a minivan in which she was a passenger with her twin sister and a sibling that was nearly 2 years old. The vehicle was driven by their mother, Hadley said.
Kalamazoo Public Safety officers reported that the minivan was traveling west on North Street at just before 6 a.m. Friday, July 28, when it was apparently struck by a car that was southbound on Rose Street.
Hadley said investigators have not determined who was at fault. The car had a flashing red light at the intersection and the minivan had a flashing yellow light, he said.
Including the driver, the minivan had four occupants, officers stated in a press release. The driver of the car, a woman, was its sole occupant.
“On arrival, officers located two vehicles (a passenger car and a minivan) , began rendering aid to five people, and investigating the crash, ” officers stated.
The driver of the minivan has not yet been named by officers. They said she and one child sustained non-life threatening injuries. A second child was hospitalized with significant injuries, officers said.
Hadley said that along with Dasani, one of the other youngster was ejected from the minivan, but he did not know which one.
Officers have not released the name of the driver of the passenger car but said she is a woman and was the only occupant of that vehicle. She suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Both drivers and the children were transported by ambulance to Bronson Methodist Hospital. There was no word on their condition Friday afternoon.
Officers said the crash was not related to any other police activities in the area. Concerns have been raised that the crash was related to a police chase in the area, Hadley said.
“There was a rumor that police were in pursuit of another vehicle, ” he said. “That is not true in any way, shape or fashion.”
Officers said a review of dispatch information and other resources showed there was not any police activity in the area.
In a statement, Kalamazoo Public Safety offered its condolences to the Colbert family and asked the public to be patient “as a thorough and detailed investigation is completed.”
Officers ask that anyone with information about the minivan-car collision to contact them directly at 269-337-8139 or anonymously via the Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.
