An elderly man using a wheelchair was hospitalized in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross 11 Mile Road in Southfield last Saturday night. The driver stayed at the scene, and the roadway was shut down for hours as police investigated.
The collision happened at approximately 7:30 p.m. near the intersection of 11 Mile Road and Marshall Street, according to a Southfield police spokesperson cited by The Oakland Press. The vehicle was reportedly traveling westbound on 11 Mile Road when it struck the man. Police said the driver remained at the scene following the crash.
Officials closed 11 Mile Road between Greenfield Road and Fairfax Street while investigators worked the scene, and the road was later reopened. The Oakland Press reported that the incident remains under investigation, and that the Southfield Police Department had not provided updates on the injured man's condition or additional details as of Monday morning.
A Pattern of Danger for Wheelchair Users in Southfield
This is not the first time a wheelchair user has been struck along a Southfield-area corridor in recent memory. In November 2025, a 71-year-old man using a wheelchair was killed in a hit-and-run along West Nine Mile Road in neighboring Oak Park, a case that led to a Southfield resident being bound over on hit-and-run charges in March.
Under Michigan law, individuals using wheelchairs or other power-driven mobility devices because of a physical disability are explicitly classified as pedestrians, according to state statutory definitions. Michigan Compiled Laws Section 257.612(4) further requires drivers approaching a person using a wheelchair or walking aid at any crosswalk or pedestrian crossing to take all necessary precautions to avoid a collision, with violations punishable as a misdemeanor.
Pedestrian Deaths Climbing Across Michigan
The Saturday night crash comes as pedestrian fatalities are rising sharply statewide. Final 2025 crash data released by the Michigan State Police in August showed pedestrian deaths jumped 18 percent in a single year, from 156 in 2024 to 184 in 2025, even as overall Michigan traffic fatalities fell 3 percent to 1,065 deaths.
Oakland County has emerged as a particular hotspot for these kinds of collisions. A five-year study of Michigan Traffic Crash Facts data from 2020 through 2024 conducted by Khamo Law found that Oakland County recorded the second-highest number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and severe injuries among all 83 Michigan counties, trailing only Wayne County. Regional data from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments shows that while pedestrian and bicycle collisions make up roughly 1 percent of total crashes in the region, they account for approximately 30 percent of all traffic fatalities.
The timing of last Saturday's crash also fits a broader pattern. State traffic data from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning shows pedestrian-involved crashes peak during evening hours between 6 p.m. and 6:59 p.m., closely preceding the 7:30 p.m. window when the Southfield collision occurred. Arterial intersections along the 11 Mile Road corridor have also drawn scrutiny in regional traffic studies by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, which note that the nearby intersection of 11 Mile and Southfield Road logged 96 crashes and 30 injuries in a single year.
Still, Oakland County posts a lower overall traffic fatality rate than the state and nation. The Road Commission for Oakland County reported a rate of 0.51 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2024, less than half of Michigan's statewide rate of 1.06 and the national rate of 1.20, a gap the commission attributes to long-term, crash-data-driven road engineering. In December, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning launched its SAFER by 2030 campaign, aiming to cut statewide traffic fatalities 30 percent by 2030 through added enforcement, public awareness efforts and infrastructure upgrades.
Whether the man struck Saturday was in a marked crosswalk, and whether speed or dusk lighting played a role, has not been disclosed by Southfield police. It also remains unclear whether the driver will face any citations or charges. The Oakland Press said it had reached out to the Southfield Police Department for further comment.
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