TOWNSHIP BERLIN, Mich. — Investigators need more time to gather information before charges can be filed in the deaths of two young siblings killed by a suspected drunk driver during a child’s birthday party over the weekend, a Michigan prosecutor said Monday .
“We expect to make a charging decision on Tuesday,” Monroe County Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey said in a brief statement.
“We appreciate the public’s patience and know you understand how important it is to have all the information in front of us before making such an important decision,” Yorkey said.
A 66-year-old woman drove into the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township and killed an 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother at a birthday party attended by children and adults on Saturday about 30 miles (48 kilometers) away. kilometers) south of Detroit, authorities said.
Their mother and another sibling were seriously injured, according to the Flat Rock school district and a crowdfunding page set up to help the family.
Three children and six adults were taken to hospitals with serious injuries, the sheriff’s office said. There was no update on their conditions Monday and authorities did not say who was honoring the birthday party.
A bar where the driver may have been drinking was temporarily closed, but reopened on Sunday.
Counselors were available at Flat Rock schools Monday to help students and staff cope with what happened.
“Words cannot adequately express the depth of our grief, nor can they ease the pain of those who mourn,” Chief Inspector Andrew Brodie said on Facebook.