• MSN
  • Hotmail
  • More
    • Autos
    • My MSN
    • Video
    • Careers & Jobs
    • Personals
    • Weather
    • Delish
    • Quotes
    • White Pages
    • Games
    • Real Estate
    • Wonderwall
    • Horoscopes
    • Shopping
    • Yellow Pages
    • Local Edition
    • Traffic
    • Feedback
    • Maps & Directions
    • Travel
    • Full MSN Index
  • Bing
  • NBCNews.com
  • TODAY
  • Nightly News
  • Rock Center
  • Meet the Press
  • Dateline
  • msnbc
  • Breaking News
  • Newsvine
  • Home
  • US
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Local
  • Weather
Advertise | AdChoices
  • Recommended: Winning ticket for huge Powerball jackpot sold in Florida
  • Recommended: Texas grandfather accused in shooting deaths of son and grandson
  • Recommended: 60 injured, five critically, as trains collide in Connecticut
  • Recommended: Facebook shutters page that taunted lawmaker's push to curb military rape

NBC News reporters bring you compelling stories from across the nation. For more US news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

  • ↓ About this blog
  • ↓ Archives
    • Icons Email E-mail updates
    • Icons Twitter Follow on Twitter
    • Icons Feed Subscribe to RSS
  • 16
    Aug
    2012
    5:21pm, EDT

    After fatal head-on wreck, wrong-way driver's wife and two children found slain at home

    Indiana State Police via AP

    Police say the drivers of two vehicles were killed early Thursday in a fiery wreck after one of them was driving the wrong way down Interstate 94 near Michigan City, Ind.

    By Andrew Mach, Staff Writer, NBC News

    A woman and her two young sons were found dead in their suburban Detroit home Thursday when police went there to notify her that her husband had died in a fiery, head-on car wreck in Indiana, police said.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    Police in Wayne County’s Van Buren Township said they went to the home around 8:30 a.m. after being notified of a man’s death in a car crash near Michigan City, Ind. They found a door to the house ajar, and when no one responded, police went inside and found a woman, 34, and her 4-year-old and 7-year-old sons dead in beds in separate bedrooms.

    The identities of the victims have not been released and police would not say how the three were killed, but the case was being investigated as a homicide. Police said a possible weapon was found in the home.


    Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter

    Earlier Thursday, police identified the father of the children and husband of the woman, Michael Van Der Linden, 39, as one of two drivers killed in a car crash near Michigan City, Ind., Thursday morning.

    Indiana State Police said State Trooper Lawrence McFarrin responded at about 1:35 a.m. to a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 in northern Indiana near Michigan City.

    The preliminary investigation revealed that Van Der Linden left a highway rest area driving on the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on with another vehicle, causing a fire that engulfed both vehicles.

    The LaPorte County Fire Department – also called to the scene – extinguished the flames and found the drivers in the wreckage.

    Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

    LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan pronounced the drivers, Van Der Linden and 45-year-old Juan Nelson of Portage, Ind., dead at the scene, police said.

    The causes of death for both men were fourth-degree burns and blunt force trauma, Sullivan said, and the deaths were ruled accidental at this time.

    Two westbound lanes of I-94 near Michigan City were closed for several hours after the crash.

    A statement released by the Van Buren School District Thursday afternoon said the two boys were students and had finished the first grade and preschool earlier this year. 

    More content from NBCNews.com:

    • Drought sends Mississippi River into 'uncharted territory'
    • 'Crazy': Dozens of dead birds fall from the sky in New Jersey
    • Drought expected to take toll at checkout
    • US government weighs using blimps at Mexico border
    • Video: Wildfires spread in California foothills
    • Cops: Man steals pot from police because 'it smelled so good'

    Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

     

     

     

    83 comments

    I'm getting so tired of these stories. They just drain you of life and hope. There is no justice, no revenge, no nothing.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: michigan, indiana, car-accident, fatal-crash

Browse

  • featured,
  • crime,
  • military,
  • weather,
  • california,
  • florida,
  • updated,
  • environment,
  • us-news,
  • new-york,
  • shooting,
  • texas,
  • education,
  • chicago,
  • police,
  • gulf-oil-spill,
  • kari-huus,
  • nbcnewyork,
  • los-angeles,
  • murder,
  • new-jersey,
  • guns,
  • afghanistan,
  • obama,
  • colorado,
  • sandy,
  • nbclosangeles,
  • trayvon-martin,
  • barack-obama,
  • crime-and-courts,
  • politics,
  • gay,
  • veterans,
  • connecticut,
  • fire,
  • religion,
  • boston-marathon-tragedy,
  • crime-courts,
  • snow
Also
Advertise | AdChoices

Andrew Mach

Archives

  • 2013
    • May (276)
    • April (608)
    • March (548)
    • February (510)
    • January (563)
  • 2012
    • December (457)
    • November (460)
    • October (477)
    • September (432)
    • August (525)
    • July (519)
    • June (508)
    • May (566)
    • April (538)
    • March (576)
    • February (471)
    • January (417)
  • 2011
    • December (455)
    • November (190)
    • October (9)
    • September (3)
    • August (51)
    • July (8)
    • June (3)
    • May (12)
    • April (5)
    • March (3)
    • February (1)
    • January (8)
  • 2010
    • December (5)
    • November (1)
    • October (2)
    • September (28)
    • August (40)
    • July (35)
    • June (177)
    • May (50)
    • April (9)
    • March (2)
    • February (2)
    • January (4)
  • 2009
    • December (5)
    • November (5)
    • October (2)
    • September (11)
    • August (4)
    • July (12)
    • June (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (1)
    • March (3)
    • February (3)
    • January (2)
  • 2008
    • December (3)
    • November (2)
    • October (6)
    • September (30)
    • August (26)
    • July (10)
    • June (4)
    • May (8)
    • April (13)
    • March (9)
    • February (7)
    • January (6)
  • 2007
    • December (10)
    • November (6)
    • October (22)
    • September (11)

Most Commented

  • Obama calls IRS flap 'inexcusable,' announces resignation of acting IRS chief (3681)
  • At least 19 injured in New Orleans Mother's Day shooting (2758)
  • NTSB recommends lowering blood alcohol level that constitutes drunken driving (1579)
  • Benghazi, IRS, AP: A guide to the 3 storms confronting the White House (2522)
  • 5 unanswered questions about the IRS targeting of conservative groups (1961)
  • Abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell convicted of first-degree murder (1648)
  • Fired lesbian teacher: Catholic educators union won't back me (2025)

Other blogs

  • The Body Odd
  • Cosmic Log
  • Red Tape Chronicles
  • PhotoBlog
  • Open Channel

NBCNews.com top stories

3147,10
© 2013 NBCNews.com
  • US news on NBCNews.com
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Site map
  • Careers
  • Closed captioning
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertise