MONROE COUNTY, Mich. — A civil lawsuit filed against the driver accused of killing two children when she crashed her vehicle into a birthday party in southeast Michigan and the tavern she allegedly drank at prior to the incident has added more injured victims as plaintiffs and broadened its scope to include more defendants, including the boat club where the crash happened.
Marko Law Firm, which is representing the family of Alanah, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 4, the young brother and sister killed in the crash, announced Tuesday it had filed an amended complaint one week after the initial filing and 10 days after the crash at Swan Boat Club in Monroe County.
The firm has added seven additional plaintiffs who sustained serious injuries in the crash, according to the lawsuit, for a total of nine including the mother of the children, Mariah Dodds, who was hospitalized with serious injuries along with her third child, 11-year-old Jayden.
The added plaintiffs — Denise Roberts, Martin Roberts, Pat Raths, Alyssa Sigler, Kathy Sigler, Lia Stith and Josh Stith — include one person who sustained a traumatic brain injury and one person who lost consciousness as a result of the crash.
The added defendants include Swan Boat Club, which the lawsuit alleges knowingly put people at the birthday party in a dangerous situation by not taking proper safety measures with its parking lot, driveway and building.
The amended lawsuit also alleges three auto insurance companies — Auto-Owners, Progressive Marathon and Allstate — have refused or are "expected to refuse" to pay multiple plaintiffs benefits in accordance with law regarding injury resulting from collisions with underinsured or uninsured motorists.
The suspect, Marshella Chidester, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while impaired by liquor causing death, and four counts of operating while impaired causing serious injury.
On April 25, Chidester posted bond and was released from jail, the Monroe County Jail said. She faced a judge over Zoom for a probable cause hearing Tuesday with Chidester's attorney, Bill Colovos, pushing for a delay to the trial as he builds discovery for the case.
Chidester's next court appearance is scheduled for June 27.
On April 26, the community gathered for a candlelight vigil at the Swan Boat Club to remember the siblings killed.
Michael Hatfield, Zayn and Alanah's uncle, said this tragedy is hitting the family hard.
"They were full of joy, I mean they were babies," Hatfield said. "What more can you really say? They didn't have a life yet. They just were on their adventure to starting life."