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Michigan State Police investigated three separate crashes on Detroit freeways between late Halloween night and 2 a.m. Sunday. Four people died, one driver was arrested, and two freeways remained closed for hours.
The crashes occurred on the Davison Freeway, southbound I-75 and the Lodge Freeway. The incidents involved a child who was ejected from a vehicle, a rollover crash involving three women, and a third crash that killed three Detroit women.
A Silver Impala on the Davison Freeway
The first crash occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday on the westbound Davison Freeway near I-75.
According to Michigan State Police, a silver Chevrolet Impala rear-ended another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle lost control and struck a third vehicle.
Six people were inside the Impala. A child was ejected from the vehicle and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The five other occupants were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical.
WXYZ reported that Highland Park police took the child in.
Driver Arrested After Fatal Davison Crash
The Impala’s driver was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated causing death, according to WDIV. The driver was also being treated for injuries at a hospital.
State police have not released the child’s age or the driver’s name.
A Chevrolet Tahoe Rolls Over on Southbound I-75
About an hour and 15 minutes later, at approximately 1 a.m. Sunday, troopers were called to southbound I-75 near Schaefer.
A white Chevrolet Tahoe, which police believe was traveling at high speed, lost control, struck a concrete barrier, and rolled over several times.
Three women were inside the SUV. Two of them, including the driver, were ejected from the vehicle. The third woman had to be cut free before being taken to a hospital alongside the others.
No arrest has been reported in connection with this crash.
The Davison Freeway and southbound I-75, which were involved in the first two crashes, remained closed for several hours before reopening, WXYZ reported.
Three Women Killed in Lodge Freeway Crash
The third crash occurred at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday on southbound M-10, the Lodge Freeway.
According to preliminary findings reported by WDIV, a vehicle failed to negotiate a curve near Wyoming Avenue. It left the roadway, climbed an embankment, passed through shrubbery, and became airborne.
The vehicle landed on the southbound entrance ramp from Wyoming Avenue before striking a concrete barrier.
The driver and both passengers, all three women from Detroit, died from their injuries.
Alcohol and speed are suspected as contributing factors, according to WDIV’s report of the preliminary state police findings.
Two Crashes Involved Separate Groups of Three Women
The overnight crashes have created a potential source of confusion for readers following the coverage.
Two separate incidents involved three women:
- The I-75 rollover: Three women were inside the Chevrolet Tahoe that rolled over near Schaefer at approximately 1 a.m. All three were taken to a hospital.
- The Lodge Freeway crash: A different group of three women, all Detroit residents, were inside the vehicle that went airborne on M-10 at approximately 2 a.m. All three died.
These were separate crashes involving different vehicles and different groups of women.
Why Early Reports Had an Incomplete Death Count
The sequence of reporting also helps explain why early coverage did not include all four deaths.
WXYZ’s overnight roundup, published at 9:05 a.m. Sunday, covered all three crashes but did not list fatalities from the Lodge Freeway crash because those deaths had not been confirmed at the time.
WDIV reported the three Lodge Freeway fatalities later that afternoon.
Readers who saw only the initial morning roundup may have an incomplete understanding of the final death toll.
Why Michigan State Police Investigate Detroit Freeway Crashes
All three crashes were investigated by Michigan State Police rather than the Detroit Police Department.
Major freeways running through Detroit, including I-75, M-8 and M-10, are state trunklines. Troopers from the Metro Detroit post patrol these roadways and investigate crashes occurring on them.
That is why reports of freeway crashes inside Detroit city limits often come from state police rather than the city’s police department.
The jurisdictional distinction also explains why the Detroit Police Department may not have additional information about crashes on these state-maintained roadways.
Investigations Remain Open
Michigan State Police continue to investigate all three crashes.
Authorities have not released the names of the four people who died.
The investigations involve three separate incidents that occurred within approximately two hours on Detroit freeways during the overnight period between Halloween and Sunday morning.
Sources
- WDIV Local 4: Three Detroit women killed in crash on southbound M-10
- WDIV Local 4: Child killed in three-vehicle crash on Davison Freeway; driver arrested
- WXYZ Channel 7: Child killed, multiple other people hurt in three overnight freeway crashes
- Fox 2 Detroit: Child killed in three-vehicle crash in Detroit
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