Children Killed In MI Birthday Party Crash ID'd, Murder Charges Filed

BERLIN TOWNSHIP, MI — Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office have identified the two children, who were siblings, killed in the crash at Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township on Saturday afternoon.

Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 4, were killed in the crash after a 66-year-old woman crashed into a building where a kid's birthday party was being held Saturday afternoon, according to the sheriff's office.

Marshella Chidester, 66, was arrested in connection with the deadly crash. She was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing death and four counts of OWI causing serious injury. She was placed in the Monroe County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.

Nine other people were also injured in the crash and taken to nearby hospitals. Their conditions are as follows:

• 31-year-old woman remains in critical condition
• 11-year-old boy remains in critical condition
• 18-year-old woman in serious condition
• 16-year-old girl in serious condition
• 14-year-old boy in serious condition
• 70-year-old woman with minor injuries
• 66-year-old woman with minor injuries
• 62-year-old woman with minor injuries
• 57-year-old woman with minor injuries

A 42-year-old man also suffered minor injuries in the crash, but sought treatment on his own, according to the sheriff's office.

Police said the crash happened around 3 p.m. at the Swan Boat Club in the 6300 block of Brancheau Road in Berlin Township. The vehicle hit the north wall of the structure and came to a rest roughly 25 feet inside, according to the sheriff's office.

"The scene was described as ‘extremely chaotic,’ with high levels of emotion by those directly involved and those who witnessed this horrific incident," according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities also learned Chidester may have been at a nearby tavern before the incident, adding they closed the establishment and planned to execute a search warrant there as part of the investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

A GoFundMe page was created to help the family pay for funeral services. As of Tuesday morning, the page raised $201,000, exceeding its goal of $200,000.

A separate GoFundMe page was created to help other victims who were taken to the hospital. As of Tuesday morning, the page raised $11,550, short of its $15,000 goal.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 734-240-7530.