Multiple people, including children, were seriously injured after a vehicle crashed through a building where a child's birthday party was being held, authorities said.
A 66-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene, police said.
Two children are dead and 15 people were injured after a woman drove her car into a child's birthday party, Sheriff Troy Goodnough said in a press conference Saturday evening.
The two children who were pronounced dead at the scene were siblings, an 8-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, according to police.
Around 3 p.m., a woman drove a vehicle through a wall of the Swan Boat Club in Monroe County, Michigan, coming to a stop 25 feet inside, authorities said.
The 66-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene for suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing death and is currently being held at Monroe County Jail, according to Goodnough.
Not excusing drunk driving, but based on the shape of the road I see how this happened. From Google maps, if the driver was coming from blanchett street there is a bend in the road right in front of the building. Here is what it looks like from street view. The driver was probably drunk and/or lost control of the vehicle and went speeding forward into the side of the building.
Doesn't seem like an appropriate sentiment here. The woman was drunk. And I've been to Monroe Michigan, you're not going to get around using public transit.
The sentiment isn't against her car use specifically, but more the infrastructure that makes one completely reliant on a car, and doesn't give you the option to get the bus home after you've had a few drinks.
Build infrastructure that doesn't prioritise the car (and is consequently safer, even for drunks) and these events will happen a lot less often. Traffic calming, massively lower speed limits, banning absurdly large SUVs, and providing viable (and safe) alternatives to driving will make everyone much safer.