Official Statement
Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is heartbroken and horrified by the tragic deaths of 8-year-old Lana and her 5-year-old brother, Zayn, reportedly at the hands of a drunk driver in Monroe County, Michigan, on Saturday, April 20.
In addition to killing the two siblings as they celebrated an indoor birthday party at a boating club, the impaired driver injured more than a dozen other people — among them the children’s mother and older brother.
The driver, 66-year-old, Marshella Chidester, crashed her vehicle through the boat club’s wall before stopping approximately 25 feet inside the building. Chidester was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence (DUI).
MADD shares the community’s deep sadness, shock, and frustration at this 100% preventable crime. MADD Michigan has reached out to the family to offer support and will continue to stand by them and the rest of the victims and survivors throughout this ordeal. MADD will be following the criminal proceedings.
No one’s life should ever be cut short by anyone who chooses to drive impaired. Victims and families deserve for every drunk driving offense to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as a violent crime. That is the minimum society owes to the 13,000 people killed and almost 400,000 people injured every year by impaired drivers.
MADD looks forward to the day when every new vehicle contains impaired driving prevention technology, as required by The HALT Act, to put an end to this horrific crime.
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