A pre-dawn hit-and-run on one of Warren’s busiest corridors left a 54-year-old woman dead last Saturday and ended with a 24-year-old suspect in custody before the day was out, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 4 a.m. near the intersection of Nine Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue, where police say a Chevrolet Malibu struck the woman as she crossed and then took off. She was rushed to a hospital but later died from her injuries.
According to WDIV, investigators quickly zeroed in on the Malibu and tracked it to a home in Detroit later that same day. The outlet reports that the suspect, identified as Earnest Square, admitted to driving the vehicle and was taken into custody less than 12 hours after the crash.
Where it happened
The Van Dyke corridor through Warren has already been on the city’s radar for recurring showdowns between cars and people on foot, according to the city’s Van Dyke corridor plan. Local reporting has highlighted several high-profile crashes at or near Nine Mile and Van Dyke in recent years, including a fatal collision tied to a police pursuit last year. Those patterns have turned up the heat on officials to consider both design tweaks and stricter enforcement along the busy arterial.
Charges and next steps
Police charged 24-year-old Earnest Square yesterday with leaving the scene of an accident causing death and driving while unlicensed, causing death; bond was set at $250,000 cash/surety only, WDIV reports. Authorities say the crash remains under investigation as detectives gather evidence and review video and witness accounts. Prosecutors will decide whether additional charges are warranted as the inquiry continues.
Warren police have asked anyone with information, photos, or video of the crash to contact investigators; the city’s news and police pages list contact details for tips and records. Officials have not released the victim’s name publicly while next-of-kin notifications proceed.
Legal context
Under Michigan law, leaving the scene of a crash that results in serious injury or death can be charged as a felony under state vehicle-code provisions, and operating without a valid license that results in death can also be prosecuted as a felony, according to state benchbooks and statutory listings. Those resources outline the statutes prosecutors typically use in fatal hit-and-run investigations and spell out potential penalties and sentencing ranges as the case moves through the courts.
Reporting: initial facts and the arrest are detailed by WDIV; local planning and prior crash coverage include the City of Warren Van Dyke corridor materials and local reporting on past fatal collisions. For city materials and police releases, see the City of Warren and FOX 2 Detroit. For statutory context, see Michigan courts benchbooks and the state code index.
