Mother of two children killed in Swan Boat Club crash testifies
Day 2 of the trial against the woman charged in the fatal crash at the Swan Boat Club in Monroe County included testimony from the mother whose two children were killed.
Mariah Dodd took the stand on Tuesday and testified about the moments after the April 20, 2024, crash. Two of Dodd's children, 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips, were killed in the crash.
"I freaked out because it hit me, 'Where's my kids at?' That's when she told me that Jayden was life-flown to the hospital, and Zayn and Alanah were no longer there," Dodd said.
Marshella Chidester, 67, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death, and five counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury. Investigators allege that Chidester may have left a bar before the crash happened.
Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Schmidt testified that he arrived at the scene and interviewed Chidester. Schmidt said he smelled alcohol and saw bloodshot eyes. He said he was conducting a field sobriety test on Chidester when he was informed that she had neuropathy in her hands and feet. He said he stopped the test after learning of her condition.
Schmidt said there was probable cause to arrest Chidester for operating while intoxicated. He testified that he transported Chidester to the hospital for a blood draw. Tests showed Chidester's blood alcohol content that day was 0.18, more than two times Michigan's legal limit of 0.08.
However, the defense argued that the blood tests were inaccurate, claiming that the blood wasn't shaken enough after it was put in the vials to activate the preservative. The defense also argued that the blood fermented in the vials after it was drawn.
Sheriff's Detective Jeff Hooper testified that Chidester crashed into her neighbor's truck before crashing into the boat club. Hooper said Chidester crashed into the truck "with enough force to push it back over a fence."
The trial will resume at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
