A Farmington man, 38, caused a stir on the Lodge Freeway earlier this week when he crashed his vehicle while driving in the wrong direction, authorities said. The suspect, whose night of alleged impaired driving could have spelled disaster, was arrested after Michigan State Police found him with a loaded handgun in his car — and lacking a valid permit for it. According to FOX 2 Detroit, the ordeal began with a call to the Detroit Regional Communication Center at around 12:15 a.m. on January 16, reporting the single-vehicle crash before subsequent callers reported the driver had been heading the wrong way.
Troopers who responded to the scene on the northbound side of the freeway found the car, which had lost a tire, stranded in the center lane. The driver was subjected to a sobriety test, which he failed, resulting in his arrest, and during a search, a loaded 9mm magazine was discovered on him. A search of the vehicle yielded a Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Pistol in the center console, as detailed in a report pieced together by WWJ Newsradio 950. Adding to the individual's troubles was the revelation his concealed pistol license had been revoked.
This incident comes on the heels of a fatal crash on January 6, where a man trying to elude Michigan State Police entered the Lodge Freeway going against traffic — an action which culminated in a collision that resulted in the deaths of two individuals from Farmington Hills. In a statement, gathered by ClickOnDetroit, the suspect, a 35-year-old man from Romulus, as well as his passenger, were critically injured but expected to survive. The crash remains under investigation.
The 38-year-old wrong-way driver from the more recent incident was taken to the Oakland County Jail to await a prosecutor's review of the case. State police's First Lt. Mike Shaw commented on the danger of the situation, saying, "There is absolutely no reason to drive impaired and we are very fortunate this suspect didn’t hurt anyone," in a quote acquired by WWJ Newsradio 950. "Add on the fact of the illegally carried gun, and this could have been a recipe for disaster."
