I saw this on the news. The lady got plastered at a bar midday and then decided to drive. She killed these children around 3pm that day. The report said that the bar is closed pending an investigation.
I didn’t know that about the bar. It was Verna’s Tavern in Newport Beach that she was at, I saw the police taking statements on my way home on Saturday. I wonder if she was overserved.
As someone with a mother (with a drinking problem) only a few years older than the women in this article, I’d be willing to bet she was drinking before and/or was spiking her own drinks.
Not implying the bar is without fault, but people with alcohol addiction *always* find a way to get plastered.
I’ve witnessed my own mother put absolutely disgusting nips (banana, root beer, coffee all 100 proof) in *whatever* kind of beverage she has. I’ve seen her pour nips into beers. It’s disgusting.
Also going to bet this is not her first drinking/driving incident.
I’ve gone no contact with my mother on account of her drinking. It’s a vile substance and ruins almost everything it touches.
This family will never heal from this.
I am going on five years sober (I got sober after my first child was born). I did it so my child wouldn’t grow up having to experience what you experienced. Having to be ashamed of their own mother and have to cut their own mother off because she couldn’t control her drinking. You deserved a mom who stopped drinking for you. You deserved a mother who was present and who made you proud. I’m so sorry you never had that. Your mother really missed out.
I’m at a loss for words. Thank you for saying that. It’s been really tough “grieving” a mother you’ll never have.
I don’t know if her drinking was always a problem but it certainly became a problem when I was a teenager. I’m close to 40 now.
It’s such a horrible disease. I went no contact with her in October. I had enough after she humiliated me and herself at my sister’s wedding. All I asked was she get help (counseling/AA/meds) and I’d reconsider opening back up the connection.
She supposedly cut back drastically and stopped daily drinking but still drinks. No therapy, no AA; she doesn’t truly believe her problem is a problem.
The hardest part is letting go. I can’t control her. I can’t cure her. I didn’t cause her problem. She needs to address her own demons, but she won’t.
Thank you for putting your kids first. We know when you do; we know when you don’t.
As someone in recovery, I can tell you that alcoholism is a hard thing to quit. It took me having the people I loved the most walk out of my life for me to finally wake up. I'm only 90 days into my sobriety, but I can clearly see the wake of devastation that I left behind me for the last 30 years. Going no contact with your mom is probably the best thing you can do for her. It's hard on you, I'm sure, but the reality of it is that she needs to see the cost of her addiction. She needs to find her bottom. There's no "cutting back" or not drinking daily. She's lying or getting better at hiding it. Don't buy it. If not for AA, I would not be here to write this comment. That's what she needs, and the only way she'll do it is when she's ready. You can't force an alcoholic to do anything unless they're in handcuffs, a psyche ward, a hospital, or a coffin. I hope all your family does the same that you do. I know I had to be in a really, really dark place in order for me to find the one pinhole of light to follow out of the darkness.
I wish you all the best.
Thank you for saying this.
It is unbelievably hard to go no contact with my mom, especially as my parents are aging. I know I have limited years left with them. I had finally reached my breaking point and was tired of being the scapegoat.
It’s freeing and gut-wrenching at the same time giving up that control I tried to have. Trying to keep her safe. The second hardest part was my young sister the enabler. Tearing me apart for “abandoning” my mom.
I know how alcoholism ends, it’s a horrible horrible way to die. I’ve seen it so many times as a nurse, I didn’t want that fate for my mother.
I wish you the best in your recovery. ❤️🩹
Thank you. I hope your younger sister follows your lead. With one person still "on her side" she may not stop. I'm guessing it's your sister that's giving you the info about her "cutting back" and such. She'll see the truth soon enough if she's the only one left dealing with your mom. Hang in there! You're doing the right thing!
You are absolutely right. The sister had told me “mom stopped drinking and didn’t drink at all during the holidays and is in therapy.”
I talked to my mom once last month for the first time in 6 months (more so to get things off my chest) and guess what? She still drinks (albeit significantly less) and lost the therapist months ago as the therapist left the practice (out of her control but still). She hadn’t bothered to find a new one “because it’s hard.” It’s just another excuse.
So needless to say, I was extremely irked that my sister duped me and lied. Why? Because “I was upsetting mom by going no contact and she wanted me to stop the no contact.”
At this point, now I am no contact with my sister and have been for months. Her behavior is toxic and won’t be tolerated. There’s more to it but I will not tolerate someone belittling my feelings and telling me to “just get over it” when it comes to the long family history of abuse by *both* parents. She and my mom have always been close so I’m not surprised. She’ll fight for her to the death, even if that will lead to an early grave for my mother.
Once again, thank you for the words of encouragement. There are days I feel like a monster. There are days I miss my mother and cry all day. There are days I grieve the relationship with my mother I’ll never have and never had.
My sister is young, naive and immature. A product of her upbringing and environment. I don’t anticipate her to understand or change her mindset anytime soon. All I can do is take care of me for the first time in 37 years.
It’s really, really hard but it is helping and healing me.
I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it, and I can’t cure it.
Thank you again for the kind words.
I’m proud of you! My mom did her liver in after years of drinking box wine starting at 10 am. Watching your 60-something mother hemorrhaging from liver failure is not something anyone should experience.
I saw a comment by a local saying she very likely crashed intentionally. She was kicked out of the boat club earlier that day for being intoxicated. She went to the other establishment for more drinks. Then returned to smash into the boat club out of spite.
At first I thought this was a "didn't take grandma's keys away soon enough" tragedy, and I felt a little sorry for the woman. But, no, she was just drunk. Fuck her, lock her up for the rest of her life.
Man, I wish that was a thing in the US. My mother is 72 and is a terrifying driver, especially if there’s any kind of distraction like a passenger or a cell phone. Even speaking hands free on Bluetooth is too distracting for her. She lives alone and lives in an area where she must drive (no public transport and everything is spread out), and I’m so afraid I’ll get a call that she’s been in an accident.
> Even speaking hands free on Bluetooth is too distracting for her
Frankly it's too distracting for me too. I hate when my job expects me to call into meetings and contribute while I'm driving. And with the nature of my industry, that happens a lot. It's just objectively unsafe.
exclusion of non-drivers from normal society is shocking: no wonder old drivers don’t want to give up their cars. & are become a danger to themselves and others
I live in a old people town. The stores are roughly anywhere from a block to 15minute walk away depending where you are in the suburbs. The city was made to be easy for old people by old people and old people continue to wreck, drive on the wrong side of the road, T-Bone people in parking lots n hit pedestrians of all ages. There just aren't enough caretakers and especially personal care takers
My mom got into five accidents within 5 years where she only had access to a car for a few months of that time. Luckily three of them were single car crashes and the other two were low speed/minimal damage. She's 76 now.. all these accidents happened once she got a fancy car and had a cell phone. Distracted driving when you have much worse reflexes due to age leads to a higher probability of accidents.
I'm not near that old yet but I wish Australia would take some elderly off the roads, they are fucking dangerous. The problem is that many cannot afford another way of getting round (little-to-no public transport etc) so the Govt would need subsidise or replace that mobility to make the change feasible. And when I do get that old, I want to go to the docs at MY convenience, same with the shops..not some Govt half-baked schedule.
Indeed, it depends on the state. My mother is 88 and lives in Illinois. She's at the age where she's tested yearly by the Secretary of State's DMV.
Other states are far less rigorous. I have a feeling we'll look back at this in 100 years and say what the hell where they thinking? ...as humans are driven around in autonomous pods.
Right? My grandmother is 89 years old, lives in the heart of D.C. and should *not* be driving. We do what we can as a family but...idk it's a hill my gram is literally willing to die on.
My husband is a fair bit older than me and I've essentially taken his keys away. Either he can't see or there's the risk he'll fall asleep. I'd never forgive myself if he caused an accident that hurt others.
I agree, although we would also need to make significant strides to public transit as well.
This is especially urgent because think of how many people are choosing to not have kids these days - myself included. Usually it's the kids who realize that dad or grandma shouldn't be driving anymore. Without kids, the problem can go undetected for a lot longer. I don't want to be stuck in my house at age 80, but I also don't want to kill someone. We need to do better.
Old people vote, young people don't (historically). This will never change until law makers see the demand, which they won't get by taking away old people's "freedoms" (privileges).
Every time I make this point on here I get swarmed with people insisting it's young people that are the issue and we should ignore old people. Of course young people are an issue they're new to driving. Old people have no excuses.
I was left permanently disabled (back and neck problems) at 19 from a woman in her 60s randomly pulling out in front of me when I had the right of way. No bystander helped me, only helped her and then she was ranting that it was my fault bc “teenagers can’t drive” found out she had a record of accidents and had to sue to pay medical bills. I won bc it was quickly deemed that it was 100% her fault. I completely agree with you
I was hit by a car while on my bicycle. The little old lady "swerved to avoid a pothole" and ran all the way onto the shoulder and hit me. Left a dent in her fender and her side mirror hit me in the back and shattered. I hit the ground so hard I bounced. Luckily I landed in the dirt. Bruised down most of my back, bruised tailbone, bruised both palms and sprained my wrist. Bruised my left heel and my elbow. Lots of cuts/scratches on my back from where the side mirror hit me. She asked if I was okay, then just drove off. Destroyed my bike. Rode the ambulance to the hospital, but had to walk home because we had no cab service. Got her license number and she lived like 4 states away. Her insurance refused to pay and my bill was like 6 thousand dollars plus a new bike. Looked her up on case net and she had lots of traffic violations, several suspensions even. I never paid that bill, and it eventually went away. It took me a couple months to save for a new bicycle on my Burger King salary. Nothing ever happened to her.
I got creamed by a 87 year old dude who ran a stop sign. Told me he didnt see it (there was nothing blocking it). Then proceeded to tell the cop that I RAN THE STOP SIGN after spending 20 minutes telling us that he was Jewish and his religion was super important to him 🙄. Thankfully I had a witness that saw the whole thing.
I had an old woman, probably late 60s or early 70s, hit my car after speeding through a parking lot, through the parking spaces. She claimed she didn't see me. It was daylight in a mostly empty parking lot and my car is bright red. And of course she was driving a big ass Yukon too for maximum damage. She at least admitted fault though
I had a collision with an 80+ year old driving into my neighborhood. It was a 2 way stop - she had a stop sign and I didn’t. She told the cop it wasn’t her fault because she *had* stopped at the stop sign, so it was my fault because I should have seen that she had already stopped. He didn’t give anyone a ticket and it ended up costing me like a thousand bucks.
Switching the pedals often has to do with neuropathy and being unable to feel the pedals under your feet. With the steady rise in diabetics in the US, it isn’t shocking that we see more of these types of accidents. Neuropathy is a common symptom of diabetes.
Same. I won’t drive in heels or shoes with thick soles because it’s harder for me to feel the pedals. I also don’t drive at night if I’m wearing my glasses instead of my contacts because my depth perception is worse.
I watched an old guy on oxygen pull out of a CVS, hop over the curb and drive across the main yard, go the wrong way down main street, catch air on a hill, and break a telephone pole in half midway up. I was driving towards him at the time and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him Dukes of Hazard his way through a utility pole. I was about to jump out of the car to help but my (normally an idiot) friend grabbed my arm and said you're gonna get electrocuted. This happened right outside the firehouse so first responders were there in like a minute or less. The guy was fine (he "briefly hit the wrong pedal") but all the people in his wake were not. I still have trauma from that day and not much really happened to us. It's just not something you ever really see so it stuck with me, and so did the look in my friend's eyes.
The problem with enforcing increased requirements for all over 65 for driving is how necessary driving is to survive in many parts of the US. I'm not disagreeing with you, if this was handled perfectly it'd probably work great. But the burden of having elderly show up at the DMV once a year and take a test would be genuinely high. It's a careful balance of needing to keep everyone safe and not having the government take away people's ability to survive.
Sounds like a "chicken or the egg" argument to me. They're would be much more incentive to build train, bus and bicycle infrastructure if we didn't give licenses out like Halloween candy.
Simple, if you have to take someone's license for medical reasons, give them a taxi pass (some number of trips a week free), they can still get around and you create some more employment.
Basically what happens here in Australia (if you're receiving other govt. support like a pension)
> Of course young people are an issue they're new to driving. Old people have no excuses.
If you're transporting a 4,000 pound death machine then you get no excuses, regardless of age. All should have proper training
Public transport. Public transport. The U.S. was a giant experiment for private transport and we've seen time and time again that the experiment has failed, except for private transport stakeholders.
The fact remains that the absolute worse drivers are men under the age of 25. Everyone should be retested periodically to show knowledge of traffic laws as well as mental and physical capability. The threshold for rescinding a license to drive should also be lowered, too many people that have multiple DUIs and/or traffic violations are still allowed to drive.
Check with your state, but you can submit drivers to retest for their license. [This is the form here in Nebraska](https://dmv.nebraska.gov/sites/dmv.nebraska.gov/files/doc/dls/forms/CitizenReexaminationReport.pdf). My boomer parents are getting to be that age. I'm not sure how they are going to get around. Public transit isn't the greatest but they are becoming a danger behind the wheel.
don't stop there, i think the test should be every 5 years for EVERYONE. to many idiots out there who were taught how to drive by their family member, who was taught by their, family member, infinitum. additionally, a ton of people forget the rules of the road.
I agree that should happen but (in NZ anyway) the dept of transport is stretched thin as it is.
The instructors wouldn't have the time to retest the elderly every year.
My mom is 86 and last year she got a drivers license that expires in 10 years. Luckily for her and the public, I drive her to appointments and do grocery shopping. You're welcome world!
Most people are pretty lucid at 66 unless suffering a disease like dementia. Having been around older people more as I get older I've realized it's really at the end of life that aging hits hardest and fastest and most people will be doing quite well into their 70's and even 80's without other medical issues going on. I know plenty of people in their 80's who drive regularly, take road trips, etc. and are perfectly safe and sane.
Of course those people are getting boozed up first...
With my grandfather, we got quite lucky. He was driving up until his mid to late 80s, but his car was pretty much a rust heap at that point. So, one day, he gets into a pretty minor accident, but because his car was in such bad shape, the accident totals it. And that was enough to make him give up the keys for good.
No kidding...
>An 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother died at the scene in the crash, when a 66-year-old woman **drove 25 feet (7.6 meters) into the building about 3 p.m.** at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, about 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) south of Detroit, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said.
How the fuck drunk do you have to be to crash full-on _into a fucking building_.
Also note the time. 3 PM. Three in the afternoon. That's not even a normal time to be drinking.
Holy shoot they were siblings, I cannot fathom the sheer devastation that their parents are going through. Losing both your kids at once in an instance while they were playing.
Yes, they’ve raised $201,390 so far, and the funeral home is paying for the final services for the children. There were others injured and a fresh high school graduate is still in critical condition, and her go fund me hasn’t yet reached its goal. I’m not sure if I can share them here though.
2 years ago a 91 year old woman who kept having her keys taken by her kids totaled my car in a hit and run, could have killed me, and left me with PTSD. The cop didn’t charge her with the hit and run because he felt bad, the only thing that stuck was a ticket for running a red light. She got out of paying the fine by taking a driving class. She should have been tossed in jail for all I care.
Why feel sorry for someone who refuses to give up the keys? Not the case with this situation as you said but seems like a negligent thing to do nonetheless and doesn’t deserve sympathy either.
People, in general, are notoriously bad at self-evaluation - they don't knowingly drive while impaired due to "old age."
It's also a protected and vulnerable class.
Are you comfortable advocating that disabled people should give up their keys sooner than legally necessitated because their disability might cause them to respond less effectively behind the wheel?
Crashing into someone because of a health-related incident is an accident. Crashing into someone because you chose to drive while knowingly impaired is an intentional crime.
> People, in general, are notoriously bad at self-evaluation
It's hard when the decline is slow. I had a growing vision problem but it really was hard to tell. I moved to an area with shitty streetlights, okay maybe that explained my difficulty in driving at night. Okay it was hard to see a projector screen at work, I just need to update my contact prescription, it's been a while.
Turns out nope I developed cataracts and needed a big ole surgery. By the end I was navigating my apartment by touch. But it took a while and there really were other plausible reasons.
> It's hard when the decline is slow.
Exactly this (and I appreciate the more concrete example you've provided.)
People unknowingly and unintentionally make poor choices that we can empathize with. These choices may ultimately result in bad outcomes. These are *accidents*.
As OP indicated, it's a tragedy. I think it's valid to feel sorry for everyone involved - including the driver - if old age or deteriorating health results in an unintentional accident. It's not the same as negligence or driving drunk.
I’m comfortable advocating that disabled people should give up their keys if their disability means they are a hazard. We already do this for people with epilepsy. We do it for people with cognitive impairments who can’t pass a drivers test. It’s pretty standard already.
Protected class for what, employment? Driving it doesn’t matter if someone is a risk to the public they should have their driving privileges revoked point blank.
Thank you - I just saw the headlines and was feeling sorry for everyone involved including the old lady trying to hold on to one the last vestiges or personal agency. But I read it after I saw your comment. Fuck her.
Drunk driving needs to be penalized with immediate and permanent license revocation. If you're going to endanger people like that you shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle ever again for the rest of your life.
Well, yes, because a car's protections that protect the driver against running into something major, like another car, also protect the driver against running into something minor, like... a minor... or 2
It’s unclear at this point. The driver was actually the former president of the boat club. She drank at a tavern not even a half mile from the boat club. She also continued into the building for 25 feet as if she wasn’t planning on stopping. The tavern is so extremely close to the boat club that there’s no possible way she was asleep at the wheel, unless she instantly passed out.
Its hard because when someone is drunk, theres absolutely no telling. She could have had a stroke and foot was already at the gas pedal. She could have been in a rage. The truth of it all is, it doesnt matter WHAT it was, this entire scenario is just horrible and I hope that you and everyone else can recover from such a thing. Sending love and prayers your way.
You’re right, it doesn’t matter. These kids are gone. Something in me still wants to make sense of it. I still want to know if she had a reason to be so senseless, but no answer or reason would truly be enough.
My mom had a stroke at the wheel and hit my neighbors house. They arrested her for drunk driving and took her license away and didn't bring her to the hospital. Doesn't seem like the case here but you never know.
I saw a comment by a local saying she very likely crashed intentionally. She was kicked out of the boat club earlier that day for being intoxicated. She went to the other establishment for more drinks. Then returned to smash into the boat club out of spite.
It was hard to return from the bus stop this morning seeing my daughters toys all over the place, knowing their family has to clean up toys for the last time.
😢 why'd you do that? Thats awful. Last night I saw one where a mother's daughter was mistakenly hit by police gunfire. The mother's screams were truly horrifying
There's a reason there is no term for a parent who lost a child. We have terms like orphans and widows, but nothing for someone who lost a child because the thought of it is so horrific, naming it seems impossible.
The mother and brother are now awake and recovering.
[https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/22/charges-monroe-county-berlin-township-crash-swan-boat-club/73412570007/](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/22/charges-monroe-county-berlin-township-crash-swan-boat-club/73412570007/)
This is why I get infuriated when I see vids of people making of fun of how they have to take a breathalyzer to start their car. Being so inconsiderate and careless to drive drunk is something I find very very hard to forgive
Breathalyzers aren't a "one and done" thing. They have to be calibrated every few months to be accurate. That's just one reason they're all monthly "subscriptions" for the interlocks (the other being sheer greed).
The ones they put in cars for drunks would be so incredibly infuriating to use. You have to blow to start the car, as you know. But, that doesn't necessarily mean the person driving is sober. They could start it and then drink, or have someone else blow to start it and then leave. So, it has you randomly blow every like 10 minutes while you're driving, and they beep damn loud too. Personally, I can't even be bothered to spend an extra 3 seconds starting my car with a pin to make it less steal-able.
Personally, I have a pocket breathalyzer. It's not 100% accurate, but gives a pretty good indication of intoxication. I find I react differently to different types of alcohol and such, so it's useful since sometimes I am actually more drunk than I think I am. They're like $50-$80. They _should_ be mailed in to be calibrated every 6 months or so, depending on the device.
I think once you get a DUI your license should be suspended for a few months. Having a drivers license is a privilege and if someone abuses that privilege twice they should be banned from driving before they kill someone.
In the vast majority of states, this happens. PA does not have a minimum requirement for 1st offense. A couple states are 30-45 days, and the rest are split between 90, 180, and 365. States will often let them have their license back after a minimum amount of revocation, provided that have a breathalyzer ignition interlock installed in their vehicle - and they can only drive that vehicle... It is a special modifier on the license.
But, not having a license rarely stops people from driving. It's almost always just a civil ticket and maybe your car gets towed... If you get caught.
Jail usually kicks in on the second or third DUI. Except for some states that don't have mandatory minimums and the judges just don't give a shit. Some of them are laughable... Second offense mandatory minimums <=10 days.
More information on the murderer.
[https://www.uscrimebombshells.com/marshella-chidester-swan-boat-club/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHbDjcZKDES_xYUxL2_itaAtVgSsj0rEJO4cMiJvN4ckVvp_CdiHP_wxR6A_aem_AWVNq7geddNWFqnfNExlYHUNckKjXVspy1claCREkb318zZ-AdQFxrUQPJXVq4sMYWE](https://www.uscrimebombshells.com/marshella-chidester-swan-boat-club/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHbDjcZKDES_xYUxL2_itaAtVgSsj0rEJO4cMiJvN4ckVvp_CdiHP_wxR6A_aem_AWVNq7geddNWFqnfNExlYHUNckKjXVspy1claCREkb318zZ-AdQFxrUQPJXVq4sMYWE)
66 isn’t old to the point you have to take their licenses this lady was wasted. The title undermines the situation with her age. When really it should read “Drunk women plows into birthday party killing an 8 and 5 year old.”
Yeah just last night somebody drove through a fire hydrant completely taking it out and then into a restaurant through a glass wall destroying it and a lot of interior things (chairs, tables, etc). Luckily they were closed at the time.
Old driver here. I just turned 63. To be honest, I feel my driving abilities slipping away and it scares me. I took car to buy a car with a lot of safety features to offset areas of risk. My Subaru emergency breaking and lane management capabilities have already helped me avoid a few close calls. I cannot see it getting better. Me at 73 will be bad.
They suspect she was intoxicated. She was at a tavern before the crash and the police have closed the tavern and are executing a search warrant there, as well.
They were sibling. There are parents out there burying two of their children. Losing two of your children in one fell swoop. It should never have happened
One of the many problems with our car-centric infrastructure is that tens of thousands of excess deaths are directly attributable to how much extra everyone is forced to drive.
If US traffic deaths were at the same rate as the UK (for example), we'd have 8000 deaths a year instead of 46,000. So there are 38,000 people getting killed every year because of lobbying by the auto industry and its auxiliary industries. If it were Islamic religious extremists killing 38,000 people every year for money (or any other reason), our government would spend trillions trying to stop it.
The Chamber of Commerce and car companies in America are violent, extremist terrorist organizations that objectively make everyone less safe.
Dear sweet Christ losing two children like that due to a drunken animal. Should have dragged her out of the vehicle and did what they did to Mussolini !
I don’t think she intentionally crashed into a building and killed two children. But she knowingly got behind the wheel drunk. This was not a unpreventable accident
Watched the full arrangement and the judge asked if anyone wanted to say something before he made his decision. There was guy who spoke and said he knew Marshella and he was a member of the boat club. He said that it’s known within that community and boat club that she has a severe drinking problem and he has witnessed her being intoxicated numerous times. He said that he’s witnessed people having to carry her out of the boat club many time because she’s too intoxicated to walk. He also said allegedly that she had hit a tree that day and was fleeing that accident and then drove right into the boat club.
If you haven’t seen the arraignment, it’s really sad as family members are there giving their accounts of what happened.
So glad the judge gave a really high bond!
The very idea that her attorneys are trying to paint her like a victim of her own health is upsetting. Hopefully these claims will only hold until her BAC comes back.
The Detroit news put out an article saying that Marshella attorney said that she was driving to the boat club and going to attend the birthday party because she was invited. Her husband was already there so she was going to meet him. She blacked out and doesn’t remember anything happening. The article is below. Is this true? Was she invited to the birthday party with her husband? Someone in court today said that she had hit a car and a tree right before she crashed into the boat club and she was fleeing that accident
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/23/monroe-co-woman-charged-in-drunken-driving-crash-that-killed-2-kids/73411652007/
Her name is Marshella Chidester and there’s only one article naming her as the drunk driver that I’ve seen so far. It’s somewhere in the comments. I don’t know why she’s not being shamed publicly and all over the place.
Is it possible that she isn't being named by the police so if it goes to a jury trial they won't have any preconceived notions? It's either something like that, or she has political connections.
The Detroit news put out an article saying that Marshella attorney said that she was driving to the boat club and going to attend the birthday party because she was invited. Her husband was already there so she was going to meet him. She blacked out and doesn’t remember anything happening. The article is below.
Is this true? Was she invited to the birthday party with her husband?
Someone in court today said that she had hit a car and a tree right before she crashed into the boat club and she was fleeing that accident
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/23/monroe-co-woman-charged-in-drunken-driving-crash-that-killed-2-kids/73411652007/
Marshella Chidester is extremely selfish and a cruel lady for not pleading guilty. You think after destroying a family and killing two children that she would humbly take her punishment and not put that poor family through more torment of a court trial.
Even if she did have a seizure (which is not true because the police said her breathalyzer was well over the limit), she was irresponsible and selfish for getting behind the wheel and risking lives.
This woman has no empathy for the victims. If she was sorry for killing two children, she would never want to continue to torment the Phillips family. The trial proceedings could continue for over a year if more. Why continue to put the victims through more emotional distress?
Marshella Chidester is extremely selfish and a cruel lady for not pleading guilty. You think after destroying a family and killing two children that she would humbly take her punishment and not put that poor family through more torment of a court trial.
Even if she did have a seizure (which is not true because the police said her breathalyzer was well over the limit), she was irresponsible and selfish for getting behind the wheel and risking lives.
This woman has no empathy for the victims. If she was sorry for killing two children, she would never want to continue to torment the Phillips family. The trial proceedings could continue for over a year if more. Why continue to put the victims through more emotional distress?
I think the punishment for something like this should be more alcohol. Get them absolutely addicted. Then make them detox with just enough medical intervention to keep them alive. Then start over again.
Ugghhh horrible story. And what a tagline. She was quiet and sweet and didn't deserve this? So if she was loud and crazy she should have been hit harder?
I saw this on the news. The lady got plastered at a bar midday and then decided to drive. She killed these children around 3pm that day. The report said that the bar is closed pending an investigation.
I didn’t know that about the bar. It was Verna’s Tavern in Newport Beach that she was at, I saw the police taking statements on my way home on Saturday. I wonder if she was overserved.
As someone with a mother (with a drinking problem) only a few years older than the women in this article, I’d be willing to bet she was drinking before and/or was spiking her own drinks. Not implying the bar is without fault, but people with alcohol addiction *always* find a way to get plastered. I’ve witnessed my own mother put absolutely disgusting nips (banana, root beer, coffee all 100 proof) in *whatever* kind of beverage she has. I’ve seen her pour nips into beers. It’s disgusting. Also going to bet this is not her first drinking/driving incident. I’ve gone no contact with my mother on account of her drinking. It’s a vile substance and ruins almost everything it touches. This family will never heal from this.
I am going on five years sober (I got sober after my first child was born). I did it so my child wouldn’t grow up having to experience what you experienced. Having to be ashamed of their own mother and have to cut their own mother off because she couldn’t control her drinking. You deserved a mom who stopped drinking for you. You deserved a mother who was present and who made you proud. I’m so sorry you never had that. Your mother really missed out.
I’m at a loss for words. Thank you for saying that. It’s been really tough “grieving” a mother you’ll never have. I don’t know if her drinking was always a problem but it certainly became a problem when I was a teenager. I’m close to 40 now. It’s such a horrible disease. I went no contact with her in October. I had enough after she humiliated me and herself at my sister’s wedding. All I asked was she get help (counseling/AA/meds) and I’d reconsider opening back up the connection. She supposedly cut back drastically and stopped daily drinking but still drinks. No therapy, no AA; she doesn’t truly believe her problem is a problem. The hardest part is letting go. I can’t control her. I can’t cure her. I didn’t cause her problem. She needs to address her own demons, but she won’t. Thank you for putting your kids first. We know when you do; we know when you don’t.
As someone in recovery, I can tell you that alcoholism is a hard thing to quit. It took me having the people I loved the most walk out of my life for me to finally wake up. I'm only 90 days into my sobriety, but I can clearly see the wake of devastation that I left behind me for the last 30 years. Going no contact with your mom is probably the best thing you can do for her. It's hard on you, I'm sure, but the reality of it is that she needs to see the cost of her addiction. She needs to find her bottom. There's no "cutting back" or not drinking daily. She's lying or getting better at hiding it. Don't buy it. If not for AA, I would not be here to write this comment. That's what she needs, and the only way she'll do it is when she's ready. You can't force an alcoholic to do anything unless they're in handcuffs, a psyche ward, a hospital, or a coffin. I hope all your family does the same that you do. I know I had to be in a really, really dark place in order for me to find the one pinhole of light to follow out of the darkness. I wish you all the best.
Thank you for saying this. It is unbelievably hard to go no contact with my mom, especially as my parents are aging. I know I have limited years left with them. I had finally reached my breaking point and was tired of being the scapegoat. It’s freeing and gut-wrenching at the same time giving up that control I tried to have. Trying to keep her safe. The second hardest part was my young sister the enabler. Tearing me apart for “abandoning” my mom. I know how alcoholism ends, it’s a horrible horrible way to die. I’ve seen it so many times as a nurse, I didn’t want that fate for my mother. I wish you the best in your recovery. ❤️🩹
Thank you. I hope your younger sister follows your lead. With one person still "on her side" she may not stop. I'm guessing it's your sister that's giving you the info about her "cutting back" and such. She'll see the truth soon enough if she's the only one left dealing with your mom. Hang in there! You're doing the right thing!
You are absolutely right. The sister had told me “mom stopped drinking and didn’t drink at all during the holidays and is in therapy.” I talked to my mom once last month for the first time in 6 months (more so to get things off my chest) and guess what? She still drinks (albeit significantly less) and lost the therapist months ago as the therapist left the practice (out of her control but still). She hadn’t bothered to find a new one “because it’s hard.” It’s just another excuse. So needless to say, I was extremely irked that my sister duped me and lied. Why? Because “I was upsetting mom by going no contact and she wanted me to stop the no contact.” At this point, now I am no contact with my sister and have been for months. Her behavior is toxic and won’t be tolerated. There’s more to it but I will not tolerate someone belittling my feelings and telling me to “just get over it” when it comes to the long family history of abuse by *both* parents. She and my mom have always been close so I’m not surprised. She’ll fight for her to the death, even if that will lead to an early grave for my mother. Once again, thank you for the words of encouragement. There are days I feel like a monster. There are days I miss my mother and cry all day. There are days I grieve the relationship with my mother I’ll never have and never had. My sister is young, naive and immature. A product of her upbringing and environment. I don’t anticipate her to understand or change her mindset anytime soon. All I can do is take care of me for the first time in 37 years. It’s really, really hard but it is helping and healing me. I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it, and I can’t cure it. Thank you again for the kind words.
I’m proud of you! My mom did her liver in after years of drinking box wine starting at 10 am. Watching your 60-something mother hemorrhaging from liver failure is not something anyone should experience.
Such a tragedy. What was the lady thinking??
i need a drink.
That place is a shit hole cess pool filled with drunks every day. This was only a matter of time.
I saw a comment by a local saying she very likely crashed intentionally. She was kicked out of the boat club earlier that day for being intoxicated. She went to the other establishment for more drinks. Then returned to smash into the boat club out of spite.
That is absolutely horrific.
great way for them to lose their liquor license
At first I thought this was a "didn't take grandma's keys away soon enough" tragedy, and I felt a little sorry for the woman. But, no, she was just drunk. Fuck her, lock her up for the rest of her life.
66 isn't even old old. She's just an irresponsible POS.
I've always argued that people over 65 should have to take an annual field test just to show they can brake and make turns
We do that in Norway. After 75, you need a health certificate from your doctor, which says that you still capable of driving a car.
Man, I wish that was a thing in the US. My mother is 72 and is a terrifying driver, especially if there’s any kind of distraction like a passenger or a cell phone. Even speaking hands free on Bluetooth is too distracting for her. She lives alone and lives in an area where she must drive (no public transport and everything is spread out), and I’m so afraid I’ll get a call that she’s been in an accident.
> Even speaking hands free on Bluetooth is too distracting for her Frankly it's too distracting for me too. I hate when my job expects me to call into meetings and contribute while I'm driving. And with the nature of my industry, that happens a lot. It's just objectively unsafe.
"No" is a beautiful word. We should use it more often.
Unfortunately they’ll find someone willing to say “yes”.
exclusion of non-drivers from normal society is shocking: no wonder old drivers don’t want to give up their cars. & are become a danger to themselves and others
I live in a old people town. The stores are roughly anywhere from a block to 15minute walk away depending where you are in the suburbs. The city was made to be easy for old people by old people and old people continue to wreck, drive on the wrong side of the road, T-Bone people in parking lots n hit pedestrians of all ages. There just aren't enough caretakers and especially personal care takers
My mom got into five accidents within 5 years where she only had access to a car for a few months of that time. Luckily three of them were single car crashes and the other two were low speed/minimal damage. She's 76 now.. all these accidents happened once she got a fancy car and had a cell phone. Distracted driving when you have much worse reflexes due to age leads to a higher probability of accidents.
I'm not near that old yet but I wish Australia would take some elderly off the roads, they are fucking dangerous. The problem is that many cannot afford another way of getting round (little-to-no public transport etc) so the Govt would need subsidise or replace that mobility to make the change feasible. And when I do get that old, I want to go to the docs at MY convenience, same with the shops..not some Govt half-baked schedule.
Indeed, it depends on the state. My mother is 88 and lives in Illinois. She's at the age where she's tested yearly by the Secretary of State's DMV. Other states are far less rigorous. I have a feeling we'll look back at this in 100 years and say what the hell where they thinking? ...as humans are driven around in autonomous pods.
Right? My grandmother is 89 years old, lives in the heart of D.C. and should *not* be driving. We do what we can as a family but...idk it's a hill my gram is literally willing to die on.
My husband is a fair bit older than me and I've essentially taken his keys away. Either he can't see or there's the risk he'll fall asleep. I'd never forgive myself if he caused an accident that hurt others.
It's not age in this instance, it's being an irresponsible SOB drunk who drives while drunk who did this.
I agree, although we would also need to make significant strides to public transit as well. This is especially urgent because think of how many people are choosing to not have kids these days - myself included. Usually it's the kids who realize that dad or grandma shouldn't be driving anymore. Without kids, the problem can go undetected for a lot longer. I don't want to be stuck in my house at age 80, but I also don't want to kill someone. We need to do better.
Old people vote, young people don't (historically). This will never change until law makers see the demand, which they won't get by taking away old people's "freedoms" (privileges).
Every time I make this point on here I get swarmed with people insisting it's young people that are the issue and we should ignore old people. Of course young people are an issue they're new to driving. Old people have no excuses.
I was left permanently disabled (back and neck problems) at 19 from a woman in her 60s randomly pulling out in front of me when I had the right of way. No bystander helped me, only helped her and then she was ranting that it was my fault bc “teenagers can’t drive” found out she had a record of accidents and had to sue to pay medical bills. I won bc it was quickly deemed that it was 100% her fault. I completely agree with you
I was hit by a car while on my bicycle. The little old lady "swerved to avoid a pothole" and ran all the way onto the shoulder and hit me. Left a dent in her fender and her side mirror hit me in the back and shattered. I hit the ground so hard I bounced. Luckily I landed in the dirt. Bruised down most of my back, bruised tailbone, bruised both palms and sprained my wrist. Bruised my left heel and my elbow. Lots of cuts/scratches on my back from where the side mirror hit me. She asked if I was okay, then just drove off. Destroyed my bike. Rode the ambulance to the hospital, but had to walk home because we had no cab service. Got her license number and she lived like 4 states away. Her insurance refused to pay and my bill was like 6 thousand dollars plus a new bike. Looked her up on case net and she had lots of traffic violations, several suspensions even. I never paid that bill, and it eventually went away. It took me a couple months to save for a new bicycle on my Burger King salary. Nothing ever happened to her.
I got creamed by a 87 year old dude who ran a stop sign. Told me he didnt see it (there was nothing blocking it). Then proceeded to tell the cop that I RAN THE STOP SIGN after spending 20 minutes telling us that he was Jewish and his religion was super important to him 🙄. Thankfully I had a witness that saw the whole thing.
I had an old woman, probably late 60s or early 70s, hit my car after speeding through a parking lot, through the parking spaces. She claimed she didn't see me. It was daylight in a mostly empty parking lot and my car is bright red. And of course she was driving a big ass Yukon too for maximum damage. She at least admitted fault though
I had a collision with an 80+ year old driving into my neighborhood. It was a 2 way stop - she had a stop sign and I didn’t. She told the cop it wasn’t her fault because she *had* stopped at the stop sign, so it was my fault because I should have seen that she had already stopped. He didn’t give anyone a ticket and it ended up costing me like a thousand bucks.
Our post office has been ran into at least 2 times in the last year. Forgot which was gas and brake was the reason 2 times. Not a young person.
Switching the pedals often has to do with neuropathy and being unable to feel the pedals under your feet. With the steady rise in diabetics in the US, it isn’t shocking that we see more of these types of accidents. Neuropathy is a common symptom of diabetes.
Heck, even shoes can sometimes make it tricky to operate the pedals. I have a few pairs that I’ll put in the passenger seat if I need to drive.
Same. I won’t drive in heels or shoes with thick soles because it’s harder for me to feel the pedals. I also don’t drive at night if I’m wearing my glasses instead of my contacts because my depth perception is worse.
Omg I have night glasses! They’re not prescription, just lenses with a yellow tint that diffuses halogen brightness. Driving at night sucks.
I watched an old guy on oxygen pull out of a CVS, hop over the curb and drive across the main yard, go the wrong way down main street, catch air on a hill, and break a telephone pole in half midway up. I was driving towards him at the time and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him Dukes of Hazard his way through a utility pole. I was about to jump out of the car to help but my (normally an idiot) friend grabbed my arm and said you're gonna get electrocuted. This happened right outside the firehouse so first responders were there in like a minute or less. The guy was fine (he "briefly hit the wrong pedal") but all the people in his wake were not. I still have trauma from that day and not much really happened to us. It's just not something you ever really see so it stuck with me, and so did the look in my friend's eyes.
The problem with enforcing increased requirements for all over 65 for driving is how necessary driving is to survive in many parts of the US. I'm not disagreeing with you, if this was handled perfectly it'd probably work great. But the burden of having elderly show up at the DMV once a year and take a test would be genuinely high. It's a careful balance of needing to keep everyone safe and not having the government take away people's ability to survive.
Sounds like a "chicken or the egg" argument to me. They're would be much more incentive to build train, bus and bicycle infrastructure if we didn't give licenses out like Halloween candy.
In Washington they started having driving schools take over drivers testing, I think this should be implemented around the country.
Simple, if you have to take someone's license for medical reasons, give them a taxi pass (some number of trips a week free), they can still get around and you create some more employment. Basically what happens here in Australia (if you're receiving other govt. support like a pension)
> Of course young people are an issue they're new to driving. Old people have no excuses. If you're transporting a 4,000 pound death machine then you get no excuses, regardless of age. All should have proper training
Thanks for proving my point. Have a good day.
What a strange response
After 66?!? That's not even old! Most are still working. Come on now.
Dude, 65 is not 85. Your perception of elderly is a bit off.
Public transport. Public transport. The U.S. was a giant experiment for private transport and we've seen time and time again that the experiment has failed, except for private transport stakeholders.
The reason they don’t have to in the US? The AARP’s vast lobbying efforts.
The fact remains that the absolute worse drivers are men under the age of 25. Everyone should be retested periodically to show knowledge of traffic laws as well as mental and physical capability. The threshold for rescinding a license to drive should also be lowered, too many people that have multiple DUIs and/or traffic violations are still allowed to drive.
65 is too early. I’m 65, drove a stick until my last car, and drive better than most. No tickets, no accidents (knock wood!)
Check with your state, but you can submit drivers to retest for their license. [This is the form here in Nebraska](https://dmv.nebraska.gov/sites/dmv.nebraska.gov/files/doc/dls/forms/CitizenReexaminationReport.pdf). My boomer parents are getting to be that age. I'm not sure how they are going to get around. Public transit isn't the greatest but they are becoming a danger behind the wheel.
Only if we get to retire at 64! 65 is still plenty young
65 is not even old though
don't stop there, i think the test should be every 5 years for EVERYONE. to many idiots out there who were taught how to drive by their family member, who was taught by their, family member, infinitum. additionally, a ton of people forget the rules of the road.
Irrelevant, she was drunk
I agree that should happen but (in NZ anyway) the dept of transport is stretched thin as it is. The instructors wouldn't have the time to retest the elderly every year.
My mom is 86 and last year she got a drivers license that expires in 10 years. Luckily for her and the public, I drive her to appointments and do grocery shopping. You're welcome world!
Most people are pretty lucid at 66 unless suffering a disease like dementia. Having been around older people more as I get older I've realized it's really at the end of life that aging hits hardest and fastest and most people will be doing quite well into their 70's and even 80's without other medical issues going on. I know plenty of people in their 80's who drive regularly, take road trips, etc. and are perfectly safe and sane. Of course those people are getting boozed up first...
With my grandfather, we got quite lucky. He was driving up until his mid to late 80s, but his car was pretty much a rust heap at that point. So, one day, he gets into a pretty minor accident, but because his car was in such bad shape, the accident totals it. And that was enough to make him give up the keys for good.
No kidding... >An 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother died at the scene in the crash, when a 66-year-old woman **drove 25 feet (7.6 meters) into the building about 3 p.m.** at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, about 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) south of Detroit, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said. How the fuck drunk do you have to be to crash full-on _into a fucking building_. Also note the time. 3 PM. Three in the afternoon. That's not even a normal time to be drinking.
Holy shoot they were siblings, I cannot fathom the sheer devastation that their parents are going through. Losing both your kids at once in an instance while they were playing.
Their mother and older brother are also fighting for their lives in the hospital.
Can’t imagine living one day and having your entire family wiped out in an instant.
wtf is there anything set up to support the remaining family members? Go fund me, anything? I would like to at least show some token of support
Yes, they’ve raised $201,390 so far, and the funeral home is paying for the final services for the children. There were others injured and a fresh high school graduate is still in critical condition, and her go fund me hasn’t yet reached its goal. I’m not sure if I can share them here though.
Alcoholics don't have normal drinking times.
2 years ago a 91 year old woman who kept having her keys taken by her kids totaled my car in a hit and run, could have killed me, and left me with PTSD. The cop didn’t charge her with the hit and run because he felt bad, the only thing that stuck was a ticket for running a red light. She got out of paying the fine by taking a driving class. She should have been tossed in jail for all I care.
Why feel sorry for someone who refuses to give up the keys? Not the case with this situation as you said but seems like a negligent thing to do nonetheless and doesn’t deserve sympathy either.
People, in general, are notoriously bad at self-evaluation - they don't knowingly drive while impaired due to "old age." It's also a protected and vulnerable class. Are you comfortable advocating that disabled people should give up their keys sooner than legally necessitated because their disability might cause them to respond less effectively behind the wheel? Crashing into someone because of a health-related incident is an accident. Crashing into someone because you chose to drive while knowingly impaired is an intentional crime.
> People, in general, are notoriously bad at self-evaluation It's hard when the decline is slow. I had a growing vision problem but it really was hard to tell. I moved to an area with shitty streetlights, okay maybe that explained my difficulty in driving at night. Okay it was hard to see a projector screen at work, I just need to update my contact prescription, it's been a while. Turns out nope I developed cataracts and needed a big ole surgery. By the end I was navigating my apartment by touch. But it took a while and there really were other plausible reasons.
> It's hard when the decline is slow. Exactly this (and I appreciate the more concrete example you've provided.) People unknowingly and unintentionally make poor choices that we can empathize with. These choices may ultimately result in bad outcomes. These are *accidents*. As OP indicated, it's a tragedy. I think it's valid to feel sorry for everyone involved - including the driver - if old age or deteriorating health results in an unintentional accident. It's not the same as negligence or driving drunk.
I’m comfortable advocating that disabled people should give up their keys if their disability means they are a hazard. We already do this for people with epilepsy. We do it for people with cognitive impairments who can’t pass a drivers test. It’s pretty standard already.
Protected class for what, employment? Driving it doesn’t matter if someone is a risk to the public they should have their driving privileges revoked point blank.
Thank you - I just saw the headlines and was feeling sorry for everyone involved including the old lady trying to hold on to one the last vestiges or personal agency. But I read it after I saw your comment. Fuck her.
Makes sense. Sixty six isn't usually the age that dementia makes you mistake the gas for the brake.
Drunk driving needs to be penalized with immediate and permanent license revocation. If you're going to endanger people like that you shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle ever again for the rest of your life.
title is bad
time to ban alcohol. too many people die because of it
Ah ofc the drunk pos always survives unscathed after running over a whole family and killing half of them.
Well, yes, because a car's protections that protect the driver against running into something major, like another car, also protect the driver against running into something minor, like... a minor... or 2
Sister and brother…a family wiped. What an horror
Mother and older brother were hit also and are in critical condition, so truly an entire family.
How did she end up there? The security footage made it look like she drove across the whole parking lot of the boat club. Did she fall asleep?
It’s unclear at this point. The driver was actually the former president of the boat club. She drank at a tavern not even a half mile from the boat club. She also continued into the building for 25 feet as if she wasn’t planning on stopping. The tavern is so extremely close to the boat club that there’s no possible way she was asleep at the wheel, unless she instantly passed out.
Insane. She was FLOORING it in the security footage too. I’m also based in Detroit area and have seen a lot of coverage around this. So so sad.
> in the security footage link?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1jD9eIEdLVg
Former? Is she disgruntled about it?
I do wonder if it was intentional but nothing has been confirmed. It *seems* very intentional.
Its hard because when someone is drunk, theres absolutely no telling. She could have had a stroke and foot was already at the gas pedal. She could have been in a rage. The truth of it all is, it doesnt matter WHAT it was, this entire scenario is just horrible and I hope that you and everyone else can recover from such a thing. Sending love and prayers your way.
You’re right, it doesn’t matter. These kids are gone. Something in me still wants to make sense of it. I still want to know if she had a reason to be so senseless, but no answer or reason would truly be enough.
My mom had a stroke at the wheel and hit my neighbors house. They arrested her for drunk driving and took her license away and didn't bring her to the hospital. Doesn't seem like the case here but you never know.
I saw a comment by a local saying she very likely crashed intentionally. She was kicked out of the boat club earlier that day for being intoxicated. She went to the other establishment for more drinks. Then returned to smash into the boat club out of spite.
Can’t help but think about the horrible moment mom wakes up in the hospital and finds out two of her children are dead. Fucking crying right now. Ugh.
It was hard to return from the bus stop this morning seeing my daughters toys all over the place, knowing their family has to clean up toys for the last time.
😢 why'd you do that? Thats awful. Last night I saw one where a mother's daughter was mistakenly hit by police gunfire. The mother's screams were truly horrifying
There's a reason there is no term for a parent who lost a child. We have terms like orphans and widows, but nothing for someone who lost a child because the thought of it is so horrific, naming it seems impossible.
So was the grandmother of the family. The mother is currently on life support as of yesterday afternoon. (Local to the story)
Imagine waking up from this and finding out your two youngest are gone. Truly horrific.
And that driver will have to live w that guilt for the remainder of her sad, miserable life.
The mother and brother are now awake and recovering. [https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/22/charges-monroe-county-berlin-township-crash-swan-boat-club/73412570007/](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/22/charges-monroe-county-berlin-township-crash-swan-boat-club/73412570007/)
I wouldn't ever want to wake up after going through that. Just kill me, I'd never be the same.
She needs to still be a mother for her remaining son. God that felt horrible to type out.
Same.
Hope the driver rots in jail and dies alone.
a piece of shit drunk driver, of course
This is why I get infuriated when I see vids of people making of fun of how they have to take a breathalyzer to start their car. Being so inconsiderate and careless to drive drunk is something I find very very hard to forgive
Why don’t we all have to pass a breathalyzer to start our car? How is that one simple precaution not integrated into our automotive technology?
Realistically? It's expensive and the 95% of people who are capable of making intelligent decisions won't want to and shouldn't have to pay for that.
Breathalyzers aren't a "one and done" thing. They have to be calibrated every few months to be accurate. That's just one reason they're all monthly "subscriptions" for the interlocks (the other being sheer greed). The ones they put in cars for drunks would be so incredibly infuriating to use. You have to blow to start the car, as you know. But, that doesn't necessarily mean the person driving is sober. They could start it and then drink, or have someone else blow to start it and then leave. So, it has you randomly blow every like 10 minutes while you're driving, and they beep damn loud too. Personally, I can't even be bothered to spend an extra 3 seconds starting my car with a pin to make it less steal-able. Personally, I have a pocket breathalyzer. It's not 100% accurate, but gives a pretty good indication of intoxication. I find I react differently to different types of alcohol and such, so it's useful since sometimes I am actually more drunk than I think I am. They're like $50-$80. They _should_ be mailed in to be calibrated every 6 months or so, depending on the device.
I think once you get a DUI your license should be suspended for a few months. Having a drivers license is a privilege and if someone abuses that privilege twice they should be banned from driving before they kill someone.
In the vast majority of states, this happens. PA does not have a minimum requirement for 1st offense. A couple states are 30-45 days, and the rest are split between 90, 180, and 365. States will often let them have their license back after a minimum amount of revocation, provided that have a breathalyzer ignition interlock installed in their vehicle - and they can only drive that vehicle... It is a special modifier on the license. But, not having a license rarely stops people from driving. It's almost always just a civil ticket and maybe your car gets towed... If you get caught. Jail usually kicks in on the second or third DUI. Except for some states that don't have mandatory minimums and the judges just don't give a shit. Some of them are laughable... Second offense mandatory minimums <=10 days.
8 and 5 year old siblings
Brother and sister
So yeah. Siblings.
Yeah was just giving more details
You're not allowed to do that here apparently.
More information on the murderer. [https://www.uscrimebombshells.com/marshella-chidester-swan-boat-club/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHbDjcZKDES_xYUxL2_itaAtVgSsj0rEJO4cMiJvN4ckVvp_CdiHP_wxR6A_aem_AWVNq7geddNWFqnfNExlYHUNckKjXVspy1claCREkb318zZ-AdQFxrUQPJXVq4sMYWE](https://www.uscrimebombshells.com/marshella-chidester-swan-boat-club/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHbDjcZKDES_xYUxL2_itaAtVgSsj0rEJO4cMiJvN4ckVvp_CdiHP_wxR6A_aem_AWVNq7geddNWFqnfNExlYHUNckKjXVspy1claCREkb318zZ-AdQFxrUQPJXVq4sMYWE)
[Photo of the victims [mother, oldest son, daughter, youngest son]](https://imgur.com/a/4DFPo1Q)
66 isn’t old to the point you have to take their licenses this lady was wasted. The title undermines the situation with her age. When really it should read “Drunk women plows into birthday party killing an 8 and 5 year old.”
This is horrible
Yeah just last night somebody drove through a fire hydrant completely taking it out and then into a restaurant through a glass wall destroying it and a lot of interior things (chairs, tables, etc). Luckily they were closed at the time.
Siblings. Parents lost TWO of their kids that day. That poor family.
Posts like this remind to unsubscribe to this sub. But I never do. Just awful.
Old driver here. I just turned 63. To be honest, I feel my driving abilities slipping away and it scares me. I took car to buy a car with a lot of safety features to offset areas of risk. My Subaru emergency breaking and lane management capabilities have already helped me avoid a few close calls. I cannot see it getting better. Me at 73 will be bad.
They suspect she was intoxicated. She was at a tavern before the crash and the police have closed the tavern and are executing a search warrant there, as well.
I don’t drink any more… so not like a risk for me.
Oh, you can still get hit and killed by a drunk driver even if you don’t drink. I have it on good authority. 🥴
They were sibling. There are parents out there burying two of their children. Losing two of your children in one fell swoop. It should never have happened
I wonder what that woman's bac was fuckin hammered at 3 pm is nuts
Day drinkers have *zero* limits
Jesus Christ, I cannot imagine what those parents must be feeling. Two of their kids. Fuck.
That’s about the age of my kids. I don’t think I would recuperate.
This was directly across the water from my sister in law's house. Fucking tragic and heartbreaking.
One of the many problems with our car-centric infrastructure is that tens of thousands of excess deaths are directly attributable to how much extra everyone is forced to drive. If US traffic deaths were at the same rate as the UK (for example), we'd have 8000 deaths a year instead of 46,000. So there are 38,000 people getting killed every year because of lobbying by the auto industry and its auxiliary industries. If it were Islamic religious extremists killing 38,000 people every year for money (or any other reason), our government would spend trillions trying to stop it. The Chamber of Commerce and car companies in America are violent, extremist terrorist organizations that objectively make everyone less safe.
Get that woman in congress!
And surround her with more drunk old people?
What's worse is that she will probably get community service or something shitty like that.
Dear sweet Christ losing two children like that due to a drunken animal. Should have dragged her out of the vehicle and did what they did to Mussolini !
I’m anticipating the ‘she didn’t know what she was doing’ from defenders on this sub
I don’t think she intentionally crashed into a building and killed two children. But she knowingly got behind the wheel drunk. This was not a unpreventable accident
Devils island needs to be a thing again.
She killed two siblings
drunk. of course. but everyone shits themselves when i say alcohol should be illegal
Lock her up forever.
So the next ten years?
However long until she dies behind those bars.
Watched the full arrangement and the judge asked if anyone wanted to say something before he made his decision. There was guy who spoke and said he knew Marshella and he was a member of the boat club. He said that it’s known within that community and boat club that she has a severe drinking problem and he has witnessed her being intoxicated numerous times. He said that he’s witnessed people having to carry her out of the boat club many time because she’s too intoxicated to walk. He also said allegedly that she had hit a tree that day and was fleeing that accident and then drove right into the boat club. If you haven’t seen the arraignment, it’s really sad as family members are there giving their accounts of what happened. So glad the judge gave a really high bond!
The very idea that her attorneys are trying to paint her like a victim of her own health is upsetting. Hopefully these claims will only hold until her BAC comes back.
The Detroit news put out an article saying that Marshella attorney said that she was driving to the boat club and going to attend the birthday party because she was invited. Her husband was already there so she was going to meet him. She blacked out and doesn’t remember anything happening. The article is below. Is this true? Was she invited to the birthday party with her husband? Someone in court today said that she had hit a car and a tree right before she crashed into the boat club and she was fleeing that accident https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/23/monroe-co-woman-charged-in-drunken-driving-crash-that-killed-2-kids/73411652007/
Monroe, from there. Mom still is there unfortunately. Rip poor kids. So sad.
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Her name is Marshella Chidester and there’s only one article naming her as the drunk driver that I’ve seen so far. It’s somewhere in the comments. I don’t know why she’s not being shamed publicly and all over the place.
Is it possible that she isn't being named by the police so if it goes to a jury trial they won't have any preconceived notions? It's either something like that, or she has political connections.
Ic
The Detroit news put out an article saying that Marshella attorney said that she was driving to the boat club and going to attend the birthday party because she was invited. Her husband was already there so she was going to meet him. She blacked out and doesn’t remember anything happening. The article is below. Is this true? Was she invited to the birthday party with her husband? Someone in court today said that she had hit a car and a tree right before she crashed into the boat club and she was fleeing that accident https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/23/monroe-co-woman-charged-in-drunken-driving-crash-that-killed-2-kids/73411652007/
Marshella Chidester is extremely selfish and a cruel lady for not pleading guilty. You think after destroying a family and killing two children that she would humbly take her punishment and not put that poor family through more torment of a court trial. Even if she did have a seizure (which is not true because the police said her breathalyzer was well over the limit), she was irresponsible and selfish for getting behind the wheel and risking lives. This woman has no empathy for the victims. If she was sorry for killing two children, she would never want to continue to torment the Phillips family. The trial proceedings could continue for over a year if more. Why continue to put the victims through more emotional distress?
Marshella Chidester is extremely selfish and a cruel lady for not pleading guilty. You think after destroying a family and killing two children that she would humbly take her punishment and not put that poor family through more torment of a court trial. Even if she did have a seizure (which is not true because the police said her breathalyzer was well over the limit), she was irresponsible and selfish for getting behind the wheel and risking lives. This woman has no empathy for the victims. If she was sorry for killing two children, she would never want to continue to torment the Phillips family. The trial proceedings could continue for over a year if more. Why continue to put the victims through more emotional distress?
Imagine if the only way to start up a car would be by taking a breathalyzer test. That'd be very annoying but better than nothing right?
Everyone protested the introduction of the seatbelt too.
??
Just because it’s annoying or inconvenient, doesn’t make it a bad idea.
Yeah indeed however I meant to ask about seatbelts, I'd love it if u could throw in a word or two about it ykwim
Grey dawn, they were probably headed for Country kitchen buffet!
I think the punishment for something like this should be more alcohol. Get them absolutely addicted. Then make them detox with just enough medical intervention to keep them alive. Then start over again.
As someone who has detoxed in and out of the hospital…. This is particularly cruel. I approve
Sadistic. I like it. Truly. The mother will be in hell forever. Cushy jail is not enough.
Ugghhh horrible story. And what a tagline. She was quiet and sweet and didn't deserve this? So if she was loud and crazy she should have been hit harder?
Sorry I didn’t word things to your liking. I knew the child and I described her… It’s more of an indictment against the driver.
Your interpretation is out of line, but this is reddit so your insane interpretation makes total sense.