BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Two kids were killed and several other children and adults were seriously injured after a suspected drunk driver drove a vehicle through a building where a birthday party was being held in Monroe County.
Emergency crews responded to the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township at 3 p.m. on Saturday after a vehicle drove through a building during a children’s birthday party.
The party was for a young child, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle struck the north wall of the facility, entered the building and came to rest approximately 25 feet inside.
First aid was issued to a total of 15 victims, including children and adults. Nine of them -- three kids and six adults -- were transported to local hospitals with serious life-threatening injuries, according to police. Several others were transported by private citizens for medical treatment.
Two children, an 8-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, were pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they were siblings.
The driver of the vehicle, a 66-year-old woman who has not been identified, was arrested for suspected drunk driving, and is likely to face criminal charges.
She was cooperating with authorities. Authorities were notified that the woman may have been at a nearby tavern before the incident, Sheriff Goodnough said, adding they closed it down and planned to execute a search warrant there as part of the investigation.
There were multiple ambulances on the scene, and helicopters airlifting people out of the area. Investigators are still working to identify victims and reunite families.