KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — Three children were killed and three others were injured in a crash during the severe storms that swept across West Michigan on Sunday evening, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). 

Deputies said that around 5:40 p.m., they were dispatched to a crash on E S Avenue, just west of S 47th Street in Climax Township. 

The initial investigation showed that a large tree had hit a vehicle, leaving three family members dead and three others injured. 

KCSO said those injured were taken to local hospitals, where one person is in critical condition and two people are in stable condition. 

On Monday, the sheriff’s office said a 2-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy, who were siblings from Calhoun County, were killed. The siblings’ cousin, an 11-year-old girl, was also killed. Authorities said the family is from Branch County and were in the area visiting a relative. 

“It looks like nothing anybody could have done. The family could not have avoided this. They didn’t predict that something would happen in that area at that time, and ultimately, this came very suddenly and fell right behind the driver’s door and across the passenger area where all the children were seated,” Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said. “No vehicle would have stood up to this. There’s 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.”

“The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our most sincere condolences to the family, loved ones and friends of the victims in this tragic incident,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a release. “And to all those affected directly or indirectly during this tragic loss for our community.”

The crash is under investigation by KCSO. Weather appears to be the main contributing factor, police say.