BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A candlelight vigil is scheduled Friday for the victims of a deadly crash into a child’s birthday party in Monroe County.
The community is invited to attend the vigil hosted at the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township on Friday, April 26 -- nearly one week after a suspected drunk driver crashed into the club, killing two children. At least 10 other people were injured in the crash on Saturday, April 20.
The vigil is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the boat club. Local chaplains will be there to pray with the community, organizers said.
Families and friends are mourning the loss of two young siblings -- Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 5 -- who died when a 66-year-old woman drove an apparent SUV into the boat club during a child’s birthday party. The children’s mother and 11-year-old brother were critically injured in the crash. Several others were taken to the hospital for serious or minor injuries, police reported.
Funeral arrangements for the children killed last week were on hold until the mother, Mariah Dodds, and brother, J.P., were in “more stable condition,” according to the family’s GoFundMe page. Dodds suffered from six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, severe cuts and more from the crash, attorneys representing the family said. Her eldest son J.P. reportedly suffered from two broken legs, broken ribs, and a fractured skull.
Marshella Chidester, the 66-year-old driver, has since been charged with eight crimes in connection with the deadly crash. Authorities say Chidester was under the influence of alcohol when she drove into the boat club, stopping about 25 feet inside the building.
Chidester was arraigned on the following charges earlier this week:
- Two counts of second-degree murder -- which carries a punishment of up to life in prison.
- Two counts of operating under the influence of liquor causing death -- which carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
- Four counts of operating under the influence of liquor causing serious injury -- which carries a punishment of up to 5 years in prison.
Chidester was out on bond as of Thursday, April 25.
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What we learned at Chidester’s arraignment
Since the onset of the investigation, authorities have said Chidester was believed to be drunk at the time of the crash. Chidester was at a nearby tavern before the crash, officials said.
The Monroe County prosecutor reiterated that point at Chidester’s arraignment Tuesday. The prosecutor said an initial breath test showed Chidester’s blood-alcohol level was “well above” the legal limit. Chidester also allegedly admitted that she wasn’t supposed to be drinking, but did drink that day.
Chidester’s defense attorney claimed the woman had only one glass of wine four hours before the crash at 3 p.m.
The defense also claimed Chidester had a seizure at the time of the crash -- something the woman had allegedly been experiencing over the past few months. Chidester’s attorney said his client occasionally suffers from seizures in her legs, and that she’s taking multiple medications because of it.
The prosecuting attorney said their investigation showed no evidence of a seizure happening at the time of the crash. Prosecutors also alleged Chidester has a substance abuse problem and said that was corroborated by several people.
The defense argued that Chidester didn’t have any history of criminal charges or traffic violations in hopes of getting the bond down to $100,000. The judge said he took that information into consideration, but decided on a $1.5 million bond due to the severity of the charges against the woman.
Chidester was initially arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death. She was cooperating with the investigation, officials said then.
Who else was injured
Nine people were taken to the hospital on April 20 in ambulances and air ambulances, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. One person received medical treatment on his own, officials said.
Here is a list of the people injured and their conditions, as of Monday, April 22:
- 31-year-old woman, critical condition.
- 11-year-old boy, critical condition.
- 18-year-old woman, serious condition.
- 16-year-old girl, serious condition.
- 14-year-old boy, serious condition.
- 70-year-old woman, minor injuries.
- 66-year-old woman, minor injuries.
- 62-year-old woman, minor injuries.
- 57-year-old woman, minor injuries.
- 42-year-old man, minor injuries (received medical treatment on his own).
GoFundMe set up for family
A fundraising campaign was started for the family of the two children who were killed, and whose mother and other sibling were seriously hurt on Saturday. The GoFundMe, which was verified by the GoFundMe platform, was initially seeking to raise $200,000 to help with funeral services, as well as housing and medical expenses for the family.
The campaign had reached that goal as of Tuesday, April 23. The goal amount was increased to $250,000 as of Friday, April 26.