A U-Haul truck was used in a reported smash-and-grab incident yesterday at a cell phone store on Detroit’s west side, part of a series of similar events across the Metro Detroit area. According to ClickOnDetroit, the vehicle crashed into a T-Mobile store on West 7 Mile Road, causing significant structural damage. However, no items appeared to have been taken from the store.
The incident led to a secondary mishap where a driver, reportedly slowing down to observe the damage, spurred a three-car crash detailed Naomi Griffith an involved party who recounted her experience to ClickOnDetroit saying, "I’m on my way to work and I heard a ‘Boom.’ I was trying to get out of the way of the burgundy car hitting me. As I was trying to get over, the car was spinning, and it still hit me anyway." Police investigations into both the attempted robbery and the subsequent traffic collision are ongoing with no arrests made at this time.
CBS Detroit reports that this incident marks the third similar event in recent days, following earlier break-ins at a hookah shop and a check-cashing business, both of which occurred last Monday. While the apparent motive in these cases appears to be the theft of ATMs, the most recent attempt resulted only in a damaged ATM and the abandoned rental truck left at the scene.
Local authorities are continuing to investigate the recent series of smash-and-grab incidents. Victims involved in the crash near the T-Mobile store were treated by EMS, though details regarding any injuries or potential charges have not been released. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
