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Mother shares her pain after crash kills daughter, severely injures son
On Thanksgiving day in Bruce Township a father returning his children to their mother gets into a fatal crash - killing his 5-year-old daughter.
FOX 2 - On Thanksgiving day in Bruce Township a father returning his children to their mother was involved in a fatal head-on crash - killing his 5-year-old son.
The backstory:
For some reason, the man had crossed the center line and hit a car head-on. The 3-year-old remains in critical condition. We are told neither was in an approved child seat.
"Me and my daughter had a long talk that morning because she didn't want to share a toy with her brother," said mother Morgan Dushaj. "And I said to her, honey, Thanksgiving is about giving and being thankful.
"And I keep trying to tell those words that I told my daughter, and hold it true to my heart, but it’s hard."
FOX 2: "How are you holding up?"
"I look at my son and he’s my strength," she said.
FOX 2: "Does he know what’s happened? No he doesn’t. I think this is just a new norm."
Dushaj said she has thought about how to tell her son that his sister was killed.
"I’ve been thinking about different ways as to how to approach the situation, but I think it will come to me naturally when it’s time," she said.
Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Mike Shaw said only one child car seat was inside the vehicle at the time of the crash.
"And that one was improperly secured by a seat belt," he said.
FOX 2: "Was a crime committed that day?"
"My children were not fastened properly in their buckles," Dushaj said. "That right there, in itself, to me, yes.
"I don’t wanna bring up anything about being bitter because you know what? It’s not worth it. What is that going to get you? Where are you goning to go from being mad."
Related:
- Horrific Thanksgiving Day crash kills 1 child in Macomb County, hospitalizes three other people
- Police: Alcohol may be factor in Thanksgiving crash that killed child in Macomb County
Dushaj carries beads with her.
"She was holding this in her casket," she said. "So I took it with me took it with me. It is the last thing she’s held."
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family. CLICK HERE to donate.
The Source: Information for this story is from an interview with Morgan Dushaj and previous reporting.