Two young siblings were killed when an intoxicated driver crashed into a Michigan business where a child’s birthday party was being held over the weekend. Per CNN, An 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother were killed, and at least nine others were seriously injured at the party at a boat club in Newport, Michigan, on Saturday when a driver drove through the building where the celebration was taking place.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s office said in a news release Sunday that the vehicle crashed into Swan Boat Club in Berlin Charter Township around 3 p.m. Saturday and came to a stop about 25 feet inside the building, where the young child’s birthday party was being held. Authorities allege that the driver, a 66-year-old woman, was intoxicated while operating the vehicle. First responders provided first-aid to 15 victims and nine were transported by ambulance or helicopter to hospitals, while the other victims sought medical treatment on their own.
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said that the two children were pronounced dead at the scene, and three children and six adults were rushed to medical facilities by ambulance or University of Michigan medical helicopter with “serious life-threatening injuries.” Goodnough said that the driver, who authorities are not yet identifying publicly, was taken into police custody and is being held at the Monroe County Jail. She was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, and is likely facing additional charges as the investigation continues, the sheriff said.
The Swan Boat Club, located on Lake Erie in the community of Newport, is about 30 miles south of Detroit. The venue said on Facebook that it will be closed through the weekend, adding: “Please keep all the people and families in attendance in your prayers. We thank everyone for their concern and prayers.”
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