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Community honors victims of Monroe County boat club crash
The vehicle came to a stop roughly 25 feet inside the Swan Boat Club. Police believe the woman driving the car was intoxicated.
BERLIN TWP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A crash at a child’s birthday party in Monroe County killed two children over the weekend – a 4-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister.
The suspect, a 66-year-old woman, was allegedly intoxicated when she drove through a wall at Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township, around 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Zayn and Alanah Phillips were killed instantly. The victims' mother, Mariah, and her oldest son, Jayden, are still in critical condition at a local hospital, according to a GoFundMe account created by Mariah's sister.
Three others have also been hospitalized with serious injuries due to the crash, while five others suffered minor injuries.
According to witnesses, there were about 70 individuals at the party.
A security camera from a nearby house captured the car speeding through the parking lot before the crash. The vehicle came to a stop roughly 25 feet inside the Swan Boat Club.
Zayn was reportedly pinned under the vehicle.
On Monday, car and after car drove up to leave something at the site of the crash, paying tribute to the victims with flowers, stuffed animals and balloons.
"It just touched our hearts, so we wanted to come drop off a stuffed animal and say a prayer for the families," said Kaye Ross, a Southgate resident.
Community members are still shocked, trying to make sense of the tragedy.
"I can’t even speak to how bad this is; it's unbelievable," said Scott Sander, a neighbor. "This is a small community. I know everyone involved, and this is tragic all the way around."
That suspect is being held on a charge of driving while intoxicated, causing death. She is expected to make her first court appearance for arraignment on Tuesday.
Another GoFundMe account was created for a young woman named Lia on Monday, one of the victims who suffered serious injuries.
According to her father, Lia was attending her 3-year-old cousin's birthday party.
The driver lived just a few hundred yards away from Swan Boat Club. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said she was at a local bar prior to the crash.
An attorney representing Verna's Tavern, where the woman was allegedly drinking, is now being investigated by police. The tavern issued the following statement:
"We are saddened beyond words by the news of this horrible tragedy. Our most sincere thoughts and prayers go out to all those that lost their lives, their family members, witnesses and all of our community that is in pain due to this incident. We ask for patience during the investigation and that the justice system be allowed to work to uncover the actual facts surrounding the accident."