Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun is putting reckless drivers on notice, and one local family is feeling it in a very real way. After a 17-year-old was allegedly caught on camera gunning a Range Rover across a front lawn and tearing off through a neighborhood street, Baydoun ordered the SUV impounded, personally showed up at the family’s home, and made it clear the city is done playing around with stunt driving on residential blocks.
The teen has been ticketed and given a court date, and the high-profile response has quickly turned into a neighborhood talking point for residents who say they are fed up with speeding and dangerous antics outside their front doors.
Mayor Confronts Family, Vehicle Towed
Baydoun went to a home on Dwight Street and spoke directly with the teen’s parents, telling them, “We are going to do our part, we’re asking the parents to do their part as well,” according to WXYZ. The outlet reports that the teen was issued a reckless driving ticket and that the Range Rover was impounded. Neighbors who spoke with the station said they welcome tougher enforcement, even if it means seeing tow trucks roll down their block.
City Video Shows the Towing
A city-posted video appears to show the SUV jumping a lawn before speeding off, followed by footage of city staff arranging for the Range Rover to be hauled away, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The clip, captured on a home security camera and then shared on official city accounts, has quickly turned into a visual aid for the mayor as he talks up neighborhood safety and the cost of cutting corners on the road.
Impound Location And Next Steps
According to the city’s FAQ, vehicles impounded by the Dearborn Heights Police Department are taken to Dalton's Towing at 27218 Currier in Dearborn Heights. Owners typically must pay towing and storage fees before they can get their cars back.
City officials say this kind of enforcement lines up with Dearborn Heights’ recent “Safe Streets for All” pilot program, which is aimed at curbing speeding and making high-risk intersections safer, as reported by ClickOnDetroit and outlined on the city’s site.
Neighbors told WXYZ they are hoping the mayor’s hard line does more than rack up towed cars and tickets, and that it actually slows drivers down. City officials say the teen’s court date is moving forward as scheduled and that stepped-up enforcement will continue until residents start to see safer streets.
