Woman Charged With Murder After Driving Drunk Into a Party, Killing 2 Children

[Anonymous]

Awful woman. Trying to argue that she had a seizure when she plowed into 2 kids at a birthday party with her car and killed them. Her blood alcohol content was substantially over the legal limit.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/04/24/what-attorney-is-arguing-in-defense-of-monroe-county-woman-who-killed-2-kids-at-birthday-party/

Marshella Marie Chidester, 66, was in court Tuesday for arraignment on eight charges, including two counts of second-degree murder.

Chidester is accused of being drunk and crashing her SUV into the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township around 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024.

Two children -- Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 5 -- were killed, and their mother, older brother, and at least eight others were injured.

Police claim Chidester’s blood-alcohol level was “significantly” over the legal limit, according to a Monroe County prosecutor. The prosecutor also said that Chidester admitted at the scene that she had been drinking when she shouldn’t have been.

Chidester’s attorney, Bill Colovos, told a different story on Tuesday.

“Sometimes you have a seizure and your leg seizes up,” Colovos said.

The defense claims Chidester only had one glass of wine on the day of the crash. Colovos said she ordered that drink between 11 a.m. and noon, citing records from the nearby tavern.

[Anonymous]

Judgemental much??

Really, OP. You don’t know the woman. You don’t know what her circumstances were / are.

Who are you to judge her?

[Anonymous]

The woman in this case could have had myriad reasons for behaviors which resulted in this unfortunate circumstance.

Don’t rush to judgement here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The woman in this case could have had myriad reasons for behaviors which resulted in this unfortunate circumstance.

Don’t rush to judgement here.

Yes who amongst us hasn't driven our car straight into a building full of children under the influence of alcohol. Complete accident that could happen to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The woman in this case could have had myriad reasons for behaviors which resulted in this unfortunate circumstance.

Don’t rush to judgement here.

Yes who amongst us hasn't driven our car straight into a building full of children under the influence of alcohol. Complete accident that could happen to anyone.

Again, you know knowing about her life experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The woman in this case could have had myriad reasons for behaviors which resulted in this unfortunate circumstance.

Don’t rush to judgement here.

Yes who amongst us hasn't driven our car straight into a building full of children under the influence of alcohol. Complete accident that could happen to anyone.

Typical of DCUM to see this situation solely through the lens of extreme privilege, with no attempt to understand or empathize with what in her background or upbringing could have possibly led to this unfortunate circumstance.

[Anonymous]

One witness who was a member of the boat club said this woman is often seen drunk driving. In this case, they believe she hit a truck on the main road driving home from the bar, and took off towards the boat club to avoid being caught. She was speeding and flew through a speed bump that launched her car out of control into the space where the birthday party was going on.

This can’t be blamed on anything but the choices this woman made. She is a danger to society and deserves to be locked up for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Article that has the testimony from the boat member:
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/04/23/birthday-not-a-funeral-aunt-makes-emotional-plea-against-monroe-woman-who-killed-2-kids-in-crash/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Article that has the testimony from the boat member:
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/04/23/birthday-not-a-funeral-aunt-makes-emotional-plea-against-monroe-woman-who-killed-2-kids-in-crash/

Boat club member speaks
A member of the boat club spoke next over Zoom.

“During my 10 years of being a member of the boat club, most of the time I’ve seen her, she’s been highly intoxicated,” he said. “I’ve watched people try to walk her out the door dozens and dozens of times, and one of the things that aren’t brought up here is that she hit a vehicle down the road and a tree down the road.

“I believe that it wasn’t intentional, but I do believe it was a situation where she was trying to flee and run from what she had just done down the road, because she shouldn’t have been driving, and everybody knew that. (If) you’re a member of the boat club, you know this lady shouldn’t be driving, and I believe she was fleeing that scene.

“There’s a speed bump before you enter the parking lot to the boat club, as well as a runoff ditch that you’ve got to pass over with your vehicle. We all drive 10 mph through that area because of these, and it’s a narrow road. But I believe that she was fleeing from hitting the truck so that she wouldn’t get caught drunk driving, and in doing so, hit the speed bump, as well as the little ditch that’s 30 feet past that, and lost control of her vehicle.

“I don’t believe it’s intentional, but I do believe that, and I know, that she drinks a lot and should never get behind a wheel. And if you’re under that much medicine, as her attorney states, then even one glass of wine could potentially do you like this. And not only that: A lot of medications you’re not supposed to drive on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The woman in this case could have had myriad reasons for behaviors which resulted in this unfortunate circumstance.

Don’t rush to judgement here.

Yes who amongst us hasn't driven our car straight into a building full of children under the influence of alcohol. Complete accident that could happen to anyone.

Typical of DCUM to see this situation solely through the lens of extreme privilege, with no attempt to understand or empathize with what in her background or upbringing could have possibly led to this unfortunate circumstance.

I assume this is sarcasm. Otherwise thought processes like this are the reason this country is going down the toilet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The woman in this case could have had myriad reasons for behaviors which resulted in this unfortunate circumstance.

Don’t rush to judgement here.

Yes who amongst us hasn't driven our car straight into a building full of children under the influence of alcohol. Complete accident that could happen to anyone.

Typical of DCUM to see this situation solely through the lens of extreme privilege, with no attempt to understand or empathize with what in her background or upbringing could have possibly led to this unfortunate circumstance.

I'll save my empathy for the mother and brother of the two children she killed who are in critical condition and the other three teenagers she hit who were taken to the hospital in serious condition....if they live. I don't have any to spare for this woman. Drunk driving is a choice she made.

[Anonymous]

She’s been having epileptic type seizures for 5 months, she’s on an anti seizure medication, she chose to mix wine with that medication and then drive. That’s all per her defense attorney. In the eyes of the law she’s presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s fine, but there’s no reason why the rest of us need to reserve our judgment. She made very poor choices and killed and maimed people as a result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She’s been having epileptic type seizures for 5 months, she’s on an anti seizure medication, she chose to mix wine with that medication and then drive. That’s all per her defense attorney. In the eyes of the law she’s presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s fine, but there’s no reason why the rest of us need to reserve our judgment. She made very poor choices and killed and maimed people as a result.

Yeah, even her defense is damning. But it's far less bad than one of the boat club witnesses who is saying that she drove into the building intentionally to hit where she thought her husband would be sitting at the bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s been having epileptic type seizures for 5 months, she’s on an anti seizure medication, she chose to mix wine with that medication and then drive. That’s all per her defense attorney. In the eyes of the law she’s presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s fine, but there’s no reason why the rest of us need to reserve our judgment. She made very poor choices and killed and maimed people as a result.

Yeah, even her defense is damning. But it's far less bad than one of the boat club witnesses who is saying that she drove into the building intentionally to hit where she thought her husband would be sitting at the bar.

Healthcare is unaffordable even for the wealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s been having epileptic type seizures for 5 months, she’s on an anti seizure medication, she chose to mix wine with that medication and then drive. That’s all per her defense attorney. In the eyes of the law she’s presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s fine, but there’s no reason why the rest of us need to reserve our judgment. She made very poor choices and killed and maimed people as a result.

Yeah, even her defense is damning. But it's far less bad than one of the boat club witnesses who is saying that she drove into the building intentionally to hit where she thought her husband would be sitting at the bar.

Healthcare is unaffordable even for the wealthy.

Go away troll-bot.