A 12-year-old girl was left in serious but stable condition and an adult man was hospitalized in critical condition after the two were struck by a vehicle early Thursday morning at the intersection of Inkster Road and Avondale Street in Inkster, Michigan. Police temporarily closed part of the intersection during the morning rush hour while they conducted an on-scene investigation.
The crash was reported by FOX 2 Detroit, which noted that two people were struck in the pedestrian crash early Thursday morning. According to ClickOnDetroit, the victims were identified as a 12-year-old girl, in serious but stable condition, and an adult man, who was hospitalized in critical condition, while officers worked the scene during the morning commute.
A Regional Safety Plan
The crash comes as nearby municipalities pursue a regional safety-planning effort. Inkster, Wayne, Westland, and Garden City are developing a Unified Safety Action Plan with federal grant support.
In 2023, the neighboring cities of Inkster, Wayne, Westland, and Garden City were jointly awarded federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant funding to develop a safety plan aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries across shared corridors, according to the City of Wayne.
Pedestrian Deaths Climbing Statewide
Thursday's crash fits into a troubling statewide pattern. Official crash statistics released by the State of Michigan showed that statewide pedestrian fatalities rose 18 percent in 2025 to 184 deaths, up from 156 fatalities in 2024, per the State of Michigan.
That rise runs counter to the national trend. A report by the Governors Highway Safety Association projected that national pedestrian fatalities declined 7 percent in 2025 to 6,732 deaths, marking the third consecutive annual national decrease. The report also recommended infrastructure improvements among possible countermeasures, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Low Light and Legal Right-of-Way Rules
Timing may be a factor in crashes like this one. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning reported that over 96 percent of Michigan pedestrian fatalities occur during dark, dawn, or dusk conditions, with October recording the highest monthly total of pedestrian-involved crashes statewide, noting that reduced visibility at dawn significantly increases pedestrian vulnerability at non-signalized or poorly lit crossings, per the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Michigan law sets clear expectations for drivers at intersections like this one. Michigan Compiled Laws Section 257.612 mandates that drivers turning or proceeding through intersections yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk or intersection, according to the Michigan Legislature, and failing to yield right-of-way resulting in serious injury can lead to civil infractions or criminal traffic charges. Separately, Michigan Compiled Laws Section 257.655 requires pedestrians walking along roadways where sidewalks are not provided to walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic, a rule intended to give pedestrians maximum visual awareness of oncoming vehicles.
Not the First Tragedy on This Corridor
Thursday's crash is not an isolated incident along the broader Inkster Road corridor. Hoodline previously reported that an 11-year-old boy was struck and killed by a vehicle in February while walking home along the Inkster Road corridor near Eureka Road in neighboring Taylor, with authorities urging people to use marked crosswalks following that fatal crash.
Whether the victims were using a crosswalk at Avondale, and whether lighting or vehicle speed contributed to Thursday's crash, remain open questions as the investigation continues.
