Driver leaves tavern then crashes into party, killing young siblings, mom’s lawsuit says
The mother of two children killed in a car crash in Michigan is suing the driver and the tavern she says served the driver drinks before the crash.
On April 20, Marshella Chidester crashed her vehicle into a boat club where a birthday party was taking place, according to a lawsuit obtained by WDIV. The lawsuit said she had been drinking at Verna’s Tavern Inc. in Berlin Township before the crash.
The crash resulted in two children being killed, 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her brother, 5-year-old Zayn Phillips, the outlet reported.
The siblings’ mother, Mariah Dodds, and her other son were also injured in the crash, according to the lawsuit.
“Can you imagine anything worse than that as a human being, as a parent?” Jon Marko, one of Dodds’ attorneys, told the Detroit Free Press.
Bill Colovos, Chidester’s attorney, told the news outlet Chidester only had one glass of wine, and she suffered seizures in her legs.
McClatchy News reached out to Colovos for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Dodds is also suing Verna’s Tavern. The court document said the tavern was responsible for serving alcohol to Chidester while she was “visibly intoxicated” and should have stopped serving her, removed her from the bar and helped her find alternate transportation.
The lawsuit said as a result of Chidester’s and the tavern’s negligence, Dodds’ family relationship has been destroyed.
McClatchy News reached out to Verna’s Tavern Inc. but was unable to reach anyone.
According to WDIV, 10 people were injured from the crash, several of whom were listed in serious condition.
Dodds and her son were listed in critical condition, according to a GoFundMe page set up for the family.
Chidester is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death and four counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious injuries, the Detroit Free Press reported.
“I had to be the one to tell my sister her babies were gone when they removed her ventilator yesterday. She said: ‘How am I supposed to live without my babies?’” Dobbs’ sister Raquel Smouthers said in court, the outlet reported.
The lawsuit is asking for compensatory damages in excess of $25,000.
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