A Dearborn community reels from a calculated vehicular attack that has left a man in a medically induced coma. The alleged intentional hit-and-run incident took place on Michigan Avenue last Saturday. Haidar Al Fadawi, the 40-year-old victim, had reportedly voiced concerns about his safety to local police before being struck by the SUV driven by Murtadha Jabbar Alizairij, 38, who now faces attempted murder charges among others.
According to ClickOnDetroit, after hitting the victim, Alizairij fled the scene and called 911 to turn himself in shortly afterward from his residence. Witnesses allegedly followed the SUV before observing the driver abandon the vehicle and escape on foot. Alizairij's attorney, Abed Hammoud, stated, "If his client wanted to run, he wouldn't have called 911." Also detailed, the suspect has a criminal history of OWI and drug violations, including warrants out for his arrest.
FOX 2 Detroit reports Al Fadawi, who was previously employed by Alizairij's family business, went into the Dearborn Police Department to follow up on an assault at his home and to express that he was concerned for his safety—interactions that are now under internal review by the police department. "He's really going to have a very difficult quality of life moving forward, if he survives," Al Fadawi's attorney, Amir Makled, told FOX 2 Detroit regarding the catastrophic injuries sustained by the victim.
Makled described Al Fadawi as a well-known community member and a father of seven who previously lost his 7-year-old daughter in another hit-and-run incident in Dearborn. "Haidar is an individual that is a family man; he is a father of seven, he's someone everyone in the community knows, everybody's seen his car in town, that's part of who he is," Makled said. Additionally, the surveillance video from Westborn Physical Therapy showed the SUV accelerate and swerve to hit Al Fadawi as he attempted to flee, reports WXYZ.
Dearborn's Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Police Chief Issa Shahin released statements insisting on the importance of dignity, respect, and empathy in public service, and the commitment to trust through transparency and accountability. Alizairij's arraignment in the 19th District Court set his bond at $750,000, and as per ClickOnDetroit, he must wear a GPS tether and remain under house arrest if he posts bond. Future court dates include a probable cause conference on September 3 and a preliminary examination on September 10.
