OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
2:00 PM – Sunday, April 21, 2024
A car driven by a suspected drunk driver crashed into a young child’s birthday celebration over the weekend at a boat club, killing the young brother and sister and injuring a number of others, some of them critically.
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On Saturday, at a child’s birthday party at a boat club in Newport, Michigan, a vehicle plowed into the celebration, resulting in the death of an 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old sibling and badly injuring at least nine more, according to a press release that was shared on Facebook by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough, at approximately 3:00 p.m., at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, roughly 30 miles south of Detroit, a 66-year-old woman drove 25 feet into the building, killing the two young children.
“The scene was described by the first responders as extremely chaotic, with a high level of emotions of those directly involved and those who witnessed this horrific incident,” Goodnough said.
There were 15 individuals who were injured with “serious life-threatening injuries,” according to Goodnough.
Two helicopters and ambulances carrying patients with potentially fatal injuries transported three children and six adults to nearby hospitals, Goodnough added.
Goodnough stated that the woman driving the car was taken into custody and detained at the Monroe County Jail on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, but he did not provide the name of the woman.
He also stated that she was cooperating with the authorities and would probably be charged with further crimes as the investigation progresses.
According to Goodnough, the authorities were informed that the woman might have visited a nearby bar prior to the event. They shut down the business and intended to carry out a search warrant there as part of their investigation.
About 30 miles south of Detroit on Lake Erie, the Swan Boat Club requested that visitors refrain from visiting on Saturday in order to allow emergency vehicles to pass. The club is closed until further notice.
“Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers. We thank everyone for their concern and prayers,” the boat club said in a statement.
Diane Harrington, who is the aunt of the siblings that were killed, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money and give the two children a “proper funeral and burial service.”
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