What started as a routine alert on a stolen car in Highland Park turned into a midafternoon chase into Detroit on Wednesday, ending with a crash, two injured drivers and several suspects on the run.
Highland Park police say an automated license plate reader flagged the vehicle, which then sped off into Detroit and slammed into two uninvolved motorists before coming to a stop. A man jumped out of the car holding what officers described as a semi-automatic pistol and ran, while at least two other occupants bailed out on foot. By Wednesday night, none of the suspects had been arrested, and the two injured drivers were being treated at a Metro Detroit hospital for injuries described as non-life-threatening.
According to Highland Park officers, the chain of events kicked off around 2 p.m. when an ALPR alert tagged the vehicle near Hamilton Avenue and West McNichols Road. A check through the Law Enforcement Information Network confirmed it had been reported stolen out of Detroit. Responding officers say one person got out of the car armed, the vehicle took off into Detroit and crashed at Livernois Avenue and Curtis Street, then rolled on to London Street just west of Livernois, where the remaining occupants ditched the car and ran. The Detroit Police Department is handling the crash investigation, and anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers or Highland Park police, according to ClickOnDetroit.
How police tracked the vehicle
Police say the chase started with a hit from an automated license plate reader, a camera system that snaps plate images and runs them against hot lists to flag stolen or wanted vehicles. Michigan's Law Enforcement Information Network is the statewide database officers tap to confirm whether a car is officially listed as stolen and to pull up related criminal justice records.
Privacy advocates have long pointed out that ALPR systems can help officers quickly find stolen cars while also raising questions about how long all that location data is stored and who gets to see it. Per the Michigan State Police and the National Conference of State Legislatures, the technology has become a standard policing tool, with state and local governments setting their own rules on retention and oversight.
Police ask public for tips
Highland Park police are asking anyone who saw the chase or its aftermath, or who has information on the people who ran from the car on London Street, to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP or the department directly at 313-852-7338. The Highland Park Police Department lists that patrol desk line on the city’s official site and says investigators are working with Detroit officers on the crash case.
Officers say tips, surveillance footage or dash-cam video from homes, businesses or drivers along the route could help identify the suspects. For contact details and updates, see ClickOnDetroit and the city’s police page.
Where this fits locally
The chase lands in the middle of a run of carjackings and stolen-vehicle cases in Detroit and Highland Park that has neighborhoods on edge and police boosting patrols. Recent local coverage has highlighted several thefts and carjackings in the area as officers work to track down stolen cars and the people behind them. For more on that pattern, see reporting from WXYZ.
