Two Children Killed, Several Injured When Car Crashes Into Birthday Party

(DailyVantage.com) – Two children died, and more than a dozen people sustained injuries after a car crashed into a birthday party in Michigan.

The crash unfolded in the mid-afternoon on April 20 when a driver crashed her automobile into the Swan Boat Club, which likely resulted from the vehicle driver’s intoxication. Michigan authorities confirmed that they arrested the automobile’s driver, who seemed inebriated during the incident. The driver, 66-year-old Marshella Chidester, has been charged with several counts of murder and drunk driving.

Chidester allegedly drove her car more than 20 feet into the boat club, where a family was in the middle of a birthday celebration, causing at least 15 injuries. Nine of the victims sustained potentially life-threatening injuries and are in critical condition. The driver’s vehicle struck a brother and sister, both of whom died on impact. The incident immediately prompted a statement from Michigan authorities, including Troy Goodnough, Monroe County’s sheriff.

Goodnough hosted a press conference the night of the accident and shared information about the accident and the suspect responsible. Goodnough confirmed that the Swan Boat Club had scheduled a birthday celebration during the accident and that medical personnel transported the accident’s victims to multiple hospitals within the surrounding region. Goodnough also confirmed that among the people suffering potentially life-threatening injuries are three young children and six adults. The Swan Boat Club also released a statement regarding the accident, which confirmed it had closed temporarily due to the tragic car crash.

Michigan authorities immediately arrested Chidester, who currently sits in the Monroe County jail, for the incident. Following her arrest, police began a preliminary investigation into the accident to determine the circumstances that led to the tragic car accident. While authorities have confirmed the driver crashed her vehicle while intoxicated, they haven’t released any information about whether the driver intentionally crashed into the boat club or not.