Eastpointe police are on the hunt for a driver involved in a deadly hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a 30-year-old Michigan man. Yesterday, officials responded to a distressing scene in the area of northbound Gratiot Avenue and Chestnut Avenue near Nine Mile Road, following a report of a man lying in the middle of the roadway. According to a statement obtained by CBS News Detroit, upon arrival, officers discovered the victim from Roseville between the middle and right lane of traffic, where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives from Eastpointe police put together that the man, while walking across Gratiot, was hit by a silver four-door sedan. The vehicle is believed to be a 2010-2015 Honda Accord, the driver of which stopped only briefly—sufficient time to realize they had hit someone—then fled the scene. Making matters worse, the suspect's car bearing marks of its culpability, with damage evident to the front and top of its hood, reported clickondetroit.
An uptick in pedestrian-related accidents has been a grim reality in Michigan, with Michigan State Police data indicating a 11% increase in such incidents from the previous year. Inching higher, fatal pedestrian crashes rose to 179 in the last year, up from 172, as noted by The Detroit News. The state and its residents are all too familiar with the agony and disruption sewn by these tragedies.
In the aftermath of this incident, the local police urge anyone with knowledge regarding the crime or the suspect involved to step forward. Valuable information about the hit-and-run or the suspect vehicle with damage can be directed to Eastpointe detectives—call Det. Burkall at (586) 445-5100 ext. 1022 or Det. Moran at the same number extending 1029.
