Driver Fleeing Police Kills Two in Metro Detroit Crash Saturday; Sterling Heights Man in Custody

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI. (THECOUNT) — Two people are dead following a crash on Gratiot Avenue at 14 Mile Road in Clinton Township, Michigan, after a driver fled a traffic stop and struck their vehicle early Saturday, the Clinton Township Police Department said. The identities of both victims have not been released pending formal identification.

One of the two occupants of the struck vehicle was identified only as a 25-year-old male from Southfield. The second victim’s name, age, and hometown had not been released by authorities as of Saturday morning, as police were still working on a formal identification. Both individuals were pronounced dead following the crash.

According to a release from Clinton Township Police Department Captain Michael Marker, officers initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle traveling at excessive speed on Gratiot Avenue near Quinn Road at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Rather than comply with the traffic stop, the driver accelerated away from officers. The fleeing vehicle subsequently crashed into a second vehicle at the intersection of Gratiot Avenue and 14 Mile Road, on the border between Clinton Township and Roseville.

The driver of the at-fault vehicle, a 54-year-old male from Sterling Heights, was taken into custody by the Clinton Township Police Department. As of this report, he is being held pending warrant authorization and arraignment. No charges have been announced. His identity has not been released by authorities.

The Roseville Police Department is investigating the traffic crash, according to the Clinton Township Police Department release. No further details regarding the vehicle types involved have been released by authorities at this time.

About Clinton Township, Roseville, and Macomb County

Clinton Township is a charter township in Macomb County, Michigan, located approximately 20 miles northeast of downtown Detroit. With a population of approximately 100,000 residents, Clinton Township is the most populous township in Michigan and the third most populous municipality in the state. The township borders several communities including Roseville, Sterling Heights, Mount Clemens, and Harrison Township.

Roseville is a city in Macomb County located directly south of Clinton Township along the Gratiot Avenue corridor. The city has a population of approximately 47,000 residents and shares several major road boundaries with Clinton Township, including the 14 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue intersection where Saturday’s fatal crash occurred. The Roseville Police Department and Clinton Township Police Department regularly coordinate on incidents occurring at or near their shared municipal borders.

Sterling Heights, the home city of the suspect, is also located in Macomb County and borders Clinton Township to the northwest. It is the fourth-largest city in Michigan, with a population of approximately 134,000 residents. Gratiot Avenue, known in Michigan as M-3, is a major north-south arterial road that runs through multiple Macomb County communities including Detroit, Eastpointe, Roseville, Clinton Township, and Fraser before continuing further north. The road is one of the primary commercial and commuter corridors in the northeastern Metro Detroit region.

Southfield, identified as the residence of one of the victims, is located in Oakland County, approximately 25 miles southwest of the crash site. It is a major suburban city in the greater Detroit metropolitan area with a population of approximately 75,000 residents.

Macomb County is located in the northeastern portion of the Detroit metropolitan area and borders Wayne County to the southwest, Oakland County to the west, and St. Clair County to the north. The county seat is Mount Clemens. Macomb County is one of the most densely populated counties in Michigan and is home to several major municipalities along the Gratiot Avenue corridor.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Clinton Township Police Department or the Roseville Police Department.

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