On April 20, 2024, 66-year-old Marshella Chidester, longtime Swan Boat Club member, was involved.

On April 20, 2024, Marshella Chidester, a 66-year-old longtime member of the Swan Boat Club in Michigan, drove her SUV straight into a children’s birthday party being held inside the club’s function room. The car smashed through the wall and struck partygoers, causing the passing of siblings Alanah (8) and Zayn (5). Security footage retraced her terrifying trajectory across the parking lot, where witnesses described chaos, screams, and collapse amid shattered decorations and terrified families.

Chidester’s defense painted a picture of medical misfortune: she claimed to suffer from a seizure disorder and said she had only one glass of wine four hours before the crash. Yet prosecutors countered that her blood-alcohol content was measured at .18, more than twice Michigan’s legal limit, and toxicology reports revealed she had gabapentin, a seizure medication, in her system. Videos played in court showed her carrying multiple glasses and bottles of wine shortly before the crash—an image that undermined the defense’s narrative of restraint.

After a brief jury deliberation of under two hours, she was convicted on all charges. At sentencing, the judge handed down a 25–50 year term. The victims’ families, particularly the children’s mother and aunt, delivered emotional victim statements, condemning Chidester’s choice to drive under known risk. Meanwhile, club members recalled prior episodes where Chidester had appeared publicly intoxicated and driven dangerously—memories that fueled community outrage over perceived ignored warning signs.