ROMULUS, Mich. – The man who drove a car into the Evans Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport reportedly told police he was there to meet Tom Cruise.
Update: Travelers describe panic after car crashes into Detroit Metro Airport terminal
Authorities said the man was “very disoriented.”
The man reportedly drove the wrong way down the street before going around cement barriers and through Door 4.
---> Car crashes into terminal at DTW for 2nd time in 4 months -- what we know
As we stated during our media briefing, this morning’s incident at the Evans Terminal remains an ongoing investigation. Upon further review of the surveillance video, it was ascertained that the vehicle did not enter through the ADA-accessible area as originally believed.
Rather than entering through the ADA-accessible curb cut area, the vehicle was driven over the curb, in a gap between the barriers protecting the doorways.
The original plan following January’s incident was a temporary solution designed to protect against a 90-degree turn into the terminal doorways, as opposed to what occurred today.
The Airport Authority is currently in the design phase of a permanent barricade system and will be using these additional lessons learned during that process.
For the time being, we are once again adding additional barricades to fortify the sidewalks and the entryways into the terminals.
Wayne County Airport Authority
It happened just after 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 29, prompting a rapid response from airport police, fire, TSA, and the FBI. The driver was taken into custody.
Police said there were no weapons or explosives found and that there was no evidence that the driver intended to hurt anyone.
The only injury was a woman who suffered minor injuries while avoiding the vehicle, but she refused medical treatment and made her flight.
The crash disrupted airport operations, which returned to normal by 11 a.m.
The driver, only identified as a 67-year-old man, reportedly told authorities that he was there to meet Tom Cruise and save his dad.
The Hollywood actor’s dad died in 1984.
Someone who reportedly went through a security checkpoint while fleeing was briefly detained and released without a citation.
The investigation is ongoing.