BERLIN TOWNSHIP, MI : Driver bar sued by family of kids killed in Monroe County birthday party crash on Tuesday, 23rd April 2024

The family of two children killed Saturday when a suspected drunk driver crashed into a birthday party in Monroe County is suing the driver and a nearby tavern.

A lawsuit was announced Tuesday, April 23 against Marshella Chidester, who is also facing criminal charges for allegedly driving drunk through a young child’s birthday party on Saturday, April 20. Chidester was arraigned Tuesday on eight criminal charges, including second-degree murder, after the crash killed two young siblings and injured several other people at Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township.

The crash killed 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her brother, 5-year-old Zayn Phillips. The children’s mother Mariah Dodds and their 11-year-old brother J.P. were also injured in the crash, and were hospitalized in critical condition. About a dozen other people were injured, many of them hospitalized, as well.

Dodds suffered from six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, severe cuts and more, according to attorneys representing the family. Dodds’ son J.P. reportedly suffered from two broken legs, broken ribs, and a fractured skull due to the crash. They were both expected to have a “long road to recovery” ahead of them.

Attorneys for Dodds on Monday, April 22 filed a lawsuit against Chidester and Verna’s Tavern, the nearby bar that Chidester was at before the crash. The lawsuit claims Chidester was grossly negligent and operated her vehicle “recklessly” and while under the influence. The lawsuit also targets the tavern, alleging the business is responsible for selling alcohol to Chidester while she was “visibly intoxicated,” and failed to stop her from leaving in her car.

Source