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Detroit police had fatal crash, shootings to investigate on Thanksgiving

James David Dickson
The Detroit News

Detroit — Thanksgiving 2020, in Detroit, was different in a lot of ways. 

The parade was a pre-taped affair, designed and marketed in a way to keep crowds from forming along Woodward. The Detroit Lions lost, badly, to the Houston Texans — but without any fans in the stands at Ford Field for a game that's always sold out. And charitable meals took the form of a to-go box, rather than the sit-down dinners of years past.

But for the Detroit Police Department, Thanksgiving was another Thursday when police had multiple shootings and serious car crashes to investigate. Among the most serious:

Head-on crash on west side kills woman, 79, injures children

At about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, in the area of Livernois and Tireman, a head-on crash killed a 79-year-old woman and injured two teens, just hours before the holiday began.

Police say a 42-year-old man driving a Cadillac DTS was northbound on Livernois, near Tireman, when he crashed with an Acura. The driver of the Cadillac fled the scene, briefly, but then returned, police said.

The woman who died was a passenger in the Acura, as were the 5-year-old and 16-year-old boys who were hospitalized and listed in serious condition. The driver of the Acura refused medical treatment at the scene.

Police arrested the driver of the Cadillac, and continue to investigate the crash.

Woman arrested in west-side hit-and-run

Just before 9 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Joy Road and St. Mary's, two cars crashed, but one driver left the scene. 

Police say a 47-year-old man was headed east on Joy Road in a black BMW. He tried to turn left and head north onto St. Mary's when he hit a black Cadillac Escalade that was westbound on Joy Road.

The man driving the BMW was injured in the crash. Medics transported him to a hospital, and he was listed in critical condition.

But the driver of the Escalade fled on foot, leaving the vehicle behind, police said. 

A time later, the suspected driver, a 24-year-old woman, returned to the scene in a silver Pontiac G6.

Police determined at least one of the vehicles she'd allegedly been driving was uninsured. While searching the vehicle, they allegedly found two handguns, and arrested the woman for carrying a concealed the weapon. Police seized the guns and the vehicle.

Man shot after being approached by man flashing gun

Early Thursday morning, about 2 a.m., a 34-year-old man was walking on the 18900 block of Sussex — south of Seven Mile, east of Greenfield on the west side — when another man approached him, gun drawn.

The two fought, but the gun went off and the man was shot, he told police.

The shooter fled, but the victim was privately transported to a hospital, and listed in stable condition. 

About 20 minutes later, six miles south and east of that shooting scene, on the 11400 block of Piedmont — south of Plymouth Road, west of the Southfield Freeway — police and medics responded and found a 24-year-old man shot.

Medics transported the victim to a hospital, and he's listed in stable condition. The circumstances prior to the shooting are not clear. Police ask tipsters who have information to share to call the Sixth Precinct at 313-596-5640.