Oak Park police plan to refer the case against a 19-year-old driver to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for charging review after a late-Thursday crash killed an Uber driver and critically injured a passenger. The driver was taken into custody at the scene, and investigators believe intoxication contributed to the collision, according to WXYZ-TV.
The collision happened at about 11 p.m. at Eight Mile Road and Coolidge Highway. Police said the 19-year-old was driving a Dodge Charger east on Eight Mile Road when it ran a red light and struck a Buick Envision traveling north on Coolidge Highway. Investigators said the Buick had the right of way, WXYZ reported.
The Uber driver was removed from the Buick with help from the Detroit Fire Department but died from the crash. A 23-year-old passenger in the Buick was ejected and remains in critical condition at a hospital. The Charger driver suffered minor injuries, and an 18-year-old woman in that vehicle was not injured, according to the report.
The Buick crossed the median and stopped facing the westbound Eight Mile Road lanes, while the Charger sustained extensive front-end damage. Public Safety Director Steve Cooper offered condolences to those affected and urged motorists to drive carefully and avoid impaired driving, according to WXYZ. Anyone with information is asked to call the Oak Park Department of Public Safety at (248) 691-7520.
Potential legal exposure
If charges are filed, Michigan law provides felony penalties for operating while intoxicated and causing a death, including as much as 15 years in prison, fines of $2,500 to $10,000 and mandatory license revocation, according to a summary from Avanti Law Group.
The injured passenger’s condition could also be relevant to a separate allegation involving serious impairment of a body function. That offense can carry up to five years in prison and fines of $1,000 to $5,000, according to Grabel & Associates. The prosecutor’s office has not announced what charges, if any, will be pursued.
Michigan crash trends
According to Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, the state recorded 307 alcohol-involved traffic fatalities in 2024, up 3 percent from 2023, even as alcohol-involved crashes fell 3 percent to 8,542. Drug-involved traffic fatalities rose 6 percent to 272, while drug-involved crashes increased 3 percent to 2,315.
