Dowagiac, Galien women identified as victims in Pokagon Township car fire

Published 1:30 pm Wednesday, January 12, 2022

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POKAGON TOWNSHIP — The two people who succumbed to injuries caused by a car fire in Pokagon Township Friday have been identified, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

The victims were identified as two females: Electra May Sutfin, 27, of Galien, and Chloe Clink, 28, of Dowagiac. The victims were identified by WMED in Kalamazoo by using dental records.

Deputies were dispatched to the scene in the 57000 block of M-51 South in Pokagon Township at 3:50 a.m. Friday. They found a vehicle stuck in a driveway due to heavy snowfall.

Deputies believe that when the occupants were unable to get the vehicle out of the snow, carbon monoxide filled the passenger compartment and rendered both passengers unconscious. The heat from the overworked engine is believed to have started the fire.

The names of the victims are being withheld until positive identification is made. Deputies were assisted at the scene by Pokagon Fire Department and WMED.