A young brother and sister were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a vehicle driven by a suspected drunken driver crashed into a birthday party at a yacht club on Saturday, a Michigan sheriff said.
An 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother died when a 66-year-old woman crashed 25 feet into a building at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township about 3 p.m., Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodenough said. , about 30 miles south of Detroit.
“Approximately 15 victims, including adults and small children, were given first aid,” Goodenough told a news conference Saturday night.
Both young siblings were pronounced dead at the scene, Goodenough said. Nine others — six adults and three children — were taken by helicopter or ambulance to area hospitals with serious or life-threatening injuries, he added.
Many others were taken to local hospitals by private vehicles.
Goodenough said the crash scene was described as “extremely chaotic by first responders with a high level of emotion from those directly involved and witnesses to this horrific incident.”
It was unclear how many people were in the building at the time of the crash, Goodenough said.
The sheriff did not identify the woman driving the vehicle, but said she was taken into custody on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death.
“Additional criminal charges will be brought against the driver as the investigation continues,” Goodenough said.
He said he was cooperating with authorities.
