DETROIT – A tragic car crash early Wednesday morning on Detroit’s East Side has claimed the lives of two people and left two others seriously injured.
The crash happened just before 2 a.m. when a car crashed into a building on Gratiot Avenue near French Road.
According to police, the collision caused significant damage to the former Nationalwide Furniture building, leaving a large hole in the wall, signs dangling, and a crumbling facade.
Crews have been working throughout the afternoon to board up the building and secure the scene.
Police say the driver is in custody and an investigator’s report will be sent to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
The circumstances that led to the crash are still being investigated, according to police.
Friends and family of the victims rushed to the site, visibly shaken by the devastating loss.
One family member shared, “Man, my cousin, they was good people. They really was. They was good people.” Another expressed disbelief, saying, “They just was trying to make it since their momma left. I just don’t understand why this happened.”
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Police suspect that speeding played a role in the crash.
It’s a factor that neighbors say is unfortunately common along the busy Gratiot corridor.
“This is just a dangerous intersection,” said a neighbor known as Pappa Los.
Another resident, Josh Fields, added, “Speeding has, as long as I’ve lived over here, always been a problem. People flying up and down Gratiot, just not really paying attention. The other day I seen an accident at the intersection. Someone ran a red light, so it’s pretty bad out here.”
A longtime friend of the victims, Larry Williams, was seen leaving balloons at the crash site as a tribute. He described the victims as “the life of the party” and said, “You know it’s hard. And everybody grieves differently, but it’s very hard for the whole family. So, shots and prayers go out to their family.”
Neighbors around Gratiot continue to urge drivers to keep safety in mind and slow down. “It’s no reason to be speeding,” Fields emphasized, while Pappa Los added, “They just need to slow down.”
The Detroit Police Fatal Squad is currently investigating the crash. Investigators have not yet released the names of the victims. At the time of the crash, the female survivor was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and the male survivor was listed as stable.