A Detroit man has been arraigned on charges in connection to a deadly wrong-way collision on I-75 that occurred last year. Damien Eldridge Thomas, 42, stands accused of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, and reckless driving causing death. Stemming from the August 26, 2023 incident which claimed the life of Drasan Clanton, 26, and injured a 27-year-old Detroit man, as reported by The Detroit News.
FOX 2 Detroit confirms that Thomas was allegedly under the influence at the time of the crash, which took place near Clark Street on I-75. The case has drawn renewed attention following Thomas' arrest on Thursday. Despite the information from officials, Thomas’ lawyer has not yet made a statement on behalf of his client.
According to Michigan State Police's investigation, Thomas was reportedly traveling northbound in the southbound lanes, leading to a head-on collision with Clanton’s vehicle. Officials said that Clanton was found unresponsive at the scene and was pronounced dead by medics who arrived shortly after. Thomas and the injured passenger were transported to a local hospital following the crash, as detailed by CBS News Detroit.
Drasan Clanton's mother, Kim Clanton expressed her grief and desire for justice, saying, as per CBS News Detroit, "I want justice for my son. Justice for Drasan. I don't want anybody to ever have to go through. I can't describe what I and my family have gone through to have such a loss, and I just want justice for him", The family has been persistent in searching for answers, reaching out weekly to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office over the past year without any replies until the recent updates about Thomas' charges.
