Court hears evidence in Swan Boat Club crash and decides whether former chairman will face trial
Monroe — Marshella Chidester is scheduled to appear in Monroe County court Thursday to hear whether she will face murder and driving under the influence charges in connection with the Swan Boat Club crash in April.
Chidester is accused of killing two children and injuring 11 others on April 20 by driving her car into the Swan Boat Club in Newport.
Chidester, who faces life in prison if convicted, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol causing death and four counts of aggravated assault.
The accident killed 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 4-year-old brother Zayn Phillips, the sheriff’s office said. Among those injured were their mother Mariah Dodds and another sibling.
Monroe County Prosecutor Jeffrey Yorkey had previously stated that Chidester’s blood alcohol concentration was well above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, but did not provide further details.
Chidester’s lawyer, Bill Colovos, said she passed out while driving following an epileptic seizure and could not remember the accident or what happened prior to it.
Chidester suffers from neuropathy and has epileptic seizures in her legs, Colovos previously said. She was hospitalized last fall after being treated for epileptic seizures in her legs, he said.
Two Metro Detroit medical experts told The Detroit News in May that while the woman’s medical condition could impair her ability to drive, the illness would not cause the woman to lose consciousness.
Prosecutors said during an arraignment in April that Chidester drove her SUV while drunk into a boating club that was hosting a child’s birthday party. They said she had drug problems.
But Colovos, the defense attorney, said Chidester had no traffic convictions or criminal record. He said she had only consumed a glass of wine and a bowl of chili four hours before the accident.
More: Aunt of siblings killed at party: “We actually wanted to plan a birthday … not a funeral”
The party was for the 3-year-old child of one of Dodds’ friends, according to a Detroit law firm that is representing Dodds’ family in a lawsuit against Chidester and the tavern where she was allegedly staying before the accident.
Chidester is a former commodore of the boat club, which is located on Swan Creek near Lake Erie. It is a membership-based organization that hosts holiday parties and other events and provides dockage for members with boats, its website says.
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