DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – A 20-year-old man is suspected of driving drunk in Dearborn Heights after he almost struck officers while they investigated the scene of an earlier crash that left four people injured, police said.
Crash on Telegraph Road
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Dearborn Heights police officers were called around 11:30 p.m. Sunday (July 17) to a crash scene on southbound Telegraph Road, south of Joy Road. The crash involved a speeding Mercedes and a pickup truck that had been sheared in half, according to authorities.
Four people were taken to nearby hospitals after the crash. The 32-year-old Inkster man driving the Mercedes and the 41-year-old Detroit man driving the pickup had “serious injuries” but were listed as stable, police said.
Two passengers from the Mercedes -- a 32-year-old Canton Township man and a 26-year-old Inkster man -- are in critical condition, according to officials.
Investigators said they learned from witnesses that the 32-year-old Inkster man had been speeding and driving the Mercedes recklessly when he struck the pickup.
Drunken driver enters crash scene
While authorities were reconstructing the crash scene around 1:30 a.m. Monday, a 2008 Dodge Charger went around flares and emergency vehicles, police said.
The Charger swerved off the roadway and nearly struck a marked Dearborn Heights squad car, a tow truck, and traffic bureau officers before stopping, according to authorities.
The 20-year-old Detroit man driving the Charger smelled like intoxicants and was taken into custody, officials said.
He resisted arrest before being brought to a nearby hospital to have a cut on his chin treated, according to police.
A blood draw was taken at the hospital after officers received a search warrant, they said.
The man was taken to the Dearborn Heights Police Department after being released form the hospital. Authorities said they will seek charges after the blood test results come back.
“As drivers, we all have an obligation to our fellow motorists and pedestrians to drive with a clear mind and to obey traffic control devices and speed limits,” Dearborn Heights police Chief Jerrod Hart said. “According to the eyewitness accounts, speed and reckless driving were contributing factors in the initial serious injury accident -- and to then have yet another motorist put our officer’s safety in jeopardy by allegedly driving under the influence is unacceptable.”
