Family members have identified the young twin children who died after they were found unresponsive inside a car on Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade early Friday and say their mother was the person who was driving and who police say jumped off the highway.
The two children, a boy and a girl who were fraternal 3-year-old twins, were found after officers responded to a call for a medical emergency at I-95 northbound and the Florida’s Turnpike extension around 2 a.m., Miami-Dade Police said.
As police arrived on the scene, they saw a woman, who was the driver of the vehicle with the two children left in the backseat, jump off the ramp onto the Tri-Rail tracks below, officials said.
Two young children have died after they were found unresponsive inside a car on Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade Friday morning in an incident that also left a woman critically injured, authorities said. NBC6’s Julia Bagg and Johanna Torres report.
The children were transported to an area hospital where they were later pronounced dead. The woman was taken to Aventura Hospital.
Officials haven’t released the identities of the children and the woman but family members identified the woman as 42-year-old Shirlene N. Alcime and the children as Milinddjy and Milender.
Family said Alcime, the twins’ mother, was in stable condition. Police said they believe she jumped in a suicide attempt.
The family said they’re devastated and shocked about what happened. They also said they didn’t know of any medical issues with the twins.
Neighbors of Alcime also said they were shocked.
“She’s a very very good neighbor, good person,” one woman said. “Very good, helped everybody.”
Police said they’re still investigating what led to the incident, and said the twins’ cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.
