A woman who was hit by a drunk driver who crashed a children’s birthday party, killing two young siblings, has recounted the horrific incident.
Diane Medina had been inside the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township, Michigan, last Saturday, when a vehicle drove directly into the building.
Medina had been at the club for a 3-year-old boy’s circus-themed birthday party when the vehicle struck her and dragged her across the room.
Trapped under the rubble, the 57-year-old man told Detroit Free Press that she couldn’t breathe and that she thought she was paralyzed.
Medina managed to say, “Someone has to find my grandchildren,” as panicked adults searched for their young children.
Siblings Lana, eight, and Zayn Phillips, five, died in the crash while their mother Mariah Dodds and older brother Jayden fight for their lives.
Diane Medina had been inside the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township, Michigan, last Saturday, when a vehicle drove directly into the building.
Trapped under the rubble, the 57-year-old woman told the Detroit Free Press that she couldn’t breathe and thought she was paralyzed.
Lana (left) and Zayn (right), the victims of the accident, appear alongside their older brother Jayden in an earlier family photo.
Speaking to the outlet from the hospital, Medina said she was grateful that her own grandchildren were not injured in the accident.
Medina said she found the incident difficult to understand since her friend Marshella Chidester, 66, now faces eight charges as the driver of the vehicle.
He recalled that just minutes before disaster struck, the group had sung Happy Birthday and served cake.
Their three granddaughters, Ella, Evelyn and Alaina, had come to play in the bounce house and remembered the smiles on their painted faces.
Medina said that after the car went through the party, it looked like a tornado had ripped through it.
A father was tending to his teenage daughter, who was seriously injured when she came to, while others screamed as they tried to rescue Zayn.
Medina said she couldn’t see the brothers’ mother, Mariah Dodds, who had been with her three children at the table next to her.
He then watched in shock as Chidester was taken to a chair and asked, “What were you thinking?” to which she replied that she didn’t know.
Medina said: ‘She looked around the room and she was sitting with a lost look on her face. She was just contemplating the land of la-la.
Surveillance footage showed the alleged drunk driver swerving erratically before crashing into a yacht club hosting the children’s party, injuring or killing a total of 15 people.
Eight-year-old Lana and five-year-old Zayn (seen together in the center) died in the crash, while their mother, Mariah (right), and older brother, Jayden (left), are fighting for their lives.
Medina was rushed to the hospital after being rescued and is being treated for three pelvic fractures, a broken nose, internal bleeding and a head injury.
She was told she won’t be able to walk for a minimum of eight weeks and told the outlet she was angry with Chidester.
Medina said: ‘This is not the woman I know. The girl wouldn’t hurt a fly. She is the most loving, attentive, loyal and sweet.
“I was taught to never hate anyone. That’s not in my vocabulary. I don’t hate her. I’m just angry at what she took from me.
But I can’t wait to see her in court. I want her to see what she did to me. I want you to see what she did to her friend.
Chidester appeared in court last week with an arm in a cast following the horrific incident and was charged with second-degree murder.
Chidester has been detained since the accident, the judge granting her the $1.5 million bail that prosecutors had requested.
Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey said Chidester had a history of substance abuse, which his friends and family had confirmed, in support of the $1.5 million bond.
Bill Colovos, the defense attorney, requested that the judge set Chidester’s bail at $100,000.
Chidester has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly driving her truck into the wall of the Swan Creek Boat Club where a children’s birthday party was being held Saturday.
Raquel Smouthers, aunt of two children killed in the crash, walks away after speaking during Marshella Chidester’s arraignment.
Flowers were left at the scene last Sunday following the incident at the Swan Boat Club during a child’s birthday party the previous day.
Horrifying images showed balloons and party glasses scattered after the incident
He stated that since November he has suffered “epileptic-type seizures” in his legs.
He also claimed that she had only consumed a bowl of chili and a glass of wine four hours before the collision.
“This is not a monster,” Colovos said. “It’s horrible what happened, but there are some things we have no control over.”
Chidester was released Thursday, according to the jail and her attorney, two days after being arraigned.
The children’s aunt, Raquel Smouthers, testified in court. She said she was at the party when Chidester killed her niece and her nephew.
“They were sitting at that table eating, and this woman crashed her car into this building destroying our lives,” Smouthers said, almost inconsolable.
“No one should have to go to a birthday party thinking they’re going to die.”
Dodds is suing Chidester and the tavern where he allegedly drank before returning to his car, the law firm representing Dodds said. AP News.
Chidester’s attorney noted that she has no prior record of reckless driving or traffic tickets.
The horror unfolded Saturday around 3 p.m. in Berlin Township, Michigan, when authorities said the vehicle flew more than 25 feet toward the Swan Boat Club where the party was being held.
She suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung and cuts and bruises while her son broke his legs, some ribs and fractured his skull.
TO GoFundMe It has been created to help cover children’s funeral expenses.
Horrific images captured the aftermath as scattered balloons and party glasses lay among the rubble.
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough explained that when the vehicle hit the building, she traveled another 25 feet inward due to her speed.
A large presence of first responders responded to the scene shortly after 3 p.m., where Goodnough said it was “extremely chaotic” with a “high level of emotions.”
A child was reportedly trapped under the vehicle as it flew through the building, while the brother and sister who lost their lives were tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
Helicopters and ambulances transported nine victims to nearby hospitals, whose lives were in danger.
Other victims were also taken to the hospital by cars, Goodnough said.
