Driver charged in deadly Swan Boat Club crash gets court date

Marshella Chidester entered a plea of not guilty during her arraignment hearing in Monroe County Circuit Court Friday morning before Judge Daniel White. A preliminary hearing was set for August 23 at 9 a.m.

Chidester faces two counts of second degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death, and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury. The charges stem from an April 20 crash at the Swan Boat Club that killed two children.

Siblings Zayn and Alanah Phillips were killed when Chidester, 66, drove her car into the club during a 3-year-old's birthday party April 20 .

More: 'Find my grandbabies': Swan Boat Club survivor recounts tragic crash at birthday party

According to a lab report submitted to the court as evidence, Chidester's blood alcohol level on the day of the crash was 0.18, more than double the legal limit of 0.08. Chidester's attorney, Bill Colovos, had argued the crash was the fault of a seizure, of which his client had a prior history, and questioned the handling of the blood taken from Chidester to check her blood alcohol content.

— Connor Veenstra can be reached at CVeenstra@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Driver charged in deadly Swan Boat Club crash gets court date