AP Features, July 6th, 2007
A woman, her son and two other children who died when their minivan rolled into a park pond on the Fourth of July drowned accidentally, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Friday.
Michelle McIntosh, 39, died along with her son, 2-year-old David McIntosh, and family friend Julia Boyd, 3. Her nephew, Jayden Wilson, 6, died Thursday at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, where he had been in critical condition.
They were headed to a picnic when McIntosh got out of the van to ask friends in a vehicle behind her where they should park. Somehow, the van began rolling away and McIntosh ran frantically after it, managing to climb inside before it sank.
Police said the van rolled 60 or 70 yards down a steep hill and into a pond, where it was submerged in 15 to 20 feet of water for up to 25 minutes before rescue divers could get to those inside.
Police have not said what caused the accident. It was unclear what gear the van was in but the emergency brake was off, officials said. The ignition appeared to be on and the passengers' seat belts were off when the victims were recovered, Deputy Chief James Honis said.
Family members have said the younger David McIntosh was fascinated with pretending to drive.
A child seated in the friends' vehicle reported seeing David Jr. climb from the back seat to the front after Michelle McIntosh got out of the van, said a person with direct knowledge of the incident who requested anonymity because details haven't been made public. The child did not see the boy touch the gearshift.
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Associated Press Writer Stephanie Reitz in Hartford contributed to this report.
