Michigan Is The 9th Most Deadly State For Car Crashes

A recent article by 24/7 Wall St., an online news site that publishes news articles about finance, technology, and other current events, ranked the 50 states in order of deadliest car crashes. This ranking was determined by looking at the number of car accident deaths in each state during 2016, and then adjusting that for population so the numbers read as fatalities per 100,000 people. In the listing of each state, 24/7 Wall St. also listed the number of car accidents in 2016 prior to the adjustment, the percentage of seatbelt use, the deadliest car accident holiday in each state, and the percentage of the car accidents that occurred in a rural area.


Michigan, despite having about a 95% seatbelt use, had the 9th highest number of fatal car crashes in 2016 at 1,064 deaths! According to the Michigan State Police, in 254 of the car crash deaths, alcohol was involved, in 139 drugs were involved, and in 141, both alcohol and drugs were involved. In 206 of the 1,064 fatal car accidents, the passengers or drivers were not wearing a seat belt. In fact, those not wearing seat belts were 44 times as likely to be killed in a car accident than those who were wearing seat belts. Finally, 52 of the 1,064 fatal car crashes occurred in the snow and 72 occurred in the rain, but a whopping 609 occurred in clear weather! 24/7 Wall St. also stated that rural areas are more dangerous locations for car accidents because they often have higher speed limits and are lined with trees and telephone poles. Proving this correct is the fact that 40% of Michigan’s fatal car accidents occurred on rural roads. 

The Michigan State Police reports that 30.6% of fatal car crashes occurred at intersections. They compiled a list of the most dangerous intersections in Michigan based on the number of car crashes that occurred at each intersection in 2016. The most dangerous intersection of the year was Ford Road at Lilley Road, with 85 car crashes, 26 of which lead to car accident injuries. Trailing right behind is 12 Mile Road at Dequindre Road, also with 85 car crashes, and 20 car accident injuries. Another infamous intersection where many metro Detroit car crashes occur is the intersection at 12 Mile Road and Telegraph Road, an area notorious for having a high speed limit, and having heavy rush hour traffic.

Out of the 1,064 car crash fatalities that occurred in Michigan in 2016, it is safe to say that many of them could have been prevented since most of the car crashes occurred in clear weather. In fact more car crash deaths were caused by drugged driving or drunk driving than were the caused by bad weather, and drugged driving and drunk driving are completely preventable actions! It is up to each driver to prevent car accident injuries and car crash fatalities by following safe driving practices in order to lower Michigan’s reputation as a car crash prone state.

Everyone knows someone who has been in a terrible car accident, and as a result, has suffered painful and life altering injuries, not to mention the medical bills that go along with them. There is no excuse for irresponsible and reckless driving practices. If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to a negligent driver, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our attorneys fight for Michigan’s injured drivers. 

Detroit's First Legal Drag Race Is Happening Today!

The Motor City is getting its first legal drag racing event! The Motor City Showdown is happening on September 23, 2017 at the Coleman A. Young International Airport on the city’s east side. According to The Detroit Free Press, the event is being put on by professional Hot Rod Association Driver Brian Olatunji, a native of Detroit, in partnership with Leadfoot Events.

The Motor City Showdown boasts “wheel standing, fire breathing 2,000 plus horsepower cars and the fearless stars who drive them,” according to the event’s website. Gates open at 3:00 PM, beginning with a car show that runs until 9:00 PM. Racing activities will also be occurring from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with the event conclusion at 9:00 PM. The races will taking place on a ⅛ mile drag racing track.

There will be plenty for guests to do in addition to watching the events. Guests can get up close and personal with the cars and their drivers, as well as classic vehicles that will be on display. Taste of Detroit and local food truck vendors will also be on site to provide guests with food and drink options throughout the day.

If purchasing online, tickets for the event are $20 for adults, and free for kids under age 12. If purchasing onsite the day of, adult tickets are $25. Secure parking is $10. The event is located at 11499 Conner St, Detroit, MI 48213.

While this is the first drag racing event taking place within the city limits, Roadkill Nights in Pontiac, Michigan re-launched last year, was the first legal drag racing event to take place on Woodward Ave and was sponsored by Dodge.

While it is sure to be fun and exciting to watch the events at The Motor City Showdown, it’s important to remember that these drivers are professionals, taking place in a legal drag racing event. Drag racing on public roads is both illegal and dangerous. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC blog, recently wrote about an illegal drag race between a go-kart and motorcycle that took the life of one of the drivers. Have fun, enjoy the shows, but don’t try this at home. A joy ride is not worth getting in a car crash and potentially risking your life and the life of others on the road.

Drag racing is illegal, and should never be attempted. Drag racing puts the lives of both the driver and others on the road at risk. If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident involving someone who was driving dangerously or illegally, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. 

Suspect Tackled After High-Speed Chase On I-75

A dramatic scene unfolded on Friday, September 8, 2017 in Detroit as police tackled a suspect in the middle of traffic on I-75. Detroit Police arrested a man suspected of homicide, following a high speed chase that had started nearly an hour and a half earlier. According to Click on Detroit, police began following the suspect around 11:30 in the morning. After briefly losing the suspect, the chase resumed around 12:30 PM after his car, a grey Nissan Murano SUV, was spotted from a helicopter. The suspect drove into traffic on Grand River Ave, going in and out of parking structures, and entering and exiting both I-75 and I-96 multiple times. The chase concluded with the suspect being tackled to the ground by police at 12:50 PM.

While many would think an arrest on the highway would mean the suspect was in a car, the real story is much more interesting. The Detroit Free Press reported that the suspect pulled over on the shoulder of I-75 after sustaining a flat tire to his left front wheel. The suspect got out of the car, jumped over the median, and started running into northbound traffic. Police also exited their cars, hopped the median, and ran after the suspect. The suspect then ran up the hood of an oncoming Chrysler Town and Country, and stood on the roof of the vehicle. The Chrysler stopped moving, and police officers tackled the suspect from the roof of the car onto the ground. 

Police took the suspect into custody, where in addition to being charged with attempting to flee police and resisting arrest, he will also be questioned regarding the shooting of a woman. Officials say the woman in question is in “extremely grave condition”. 

The driver of the Chrysler vehicle spoke with the Detroit Free Press. He is an employee for an Italian company called Vigel North America and was driving a company car north from Detroit back to their headquarters in Madison Heights. The driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “it looked like in the movies,” and that he had stopped the car “because [he] didn’t know what to do.” The driver is still distraught from the incident, saying he feared for his life and is “still shaking from what happened.”

Police chases as noteworthy as this one are rare.  A report published by USA Today found that 76% of police chases are over in 5 minutes or less. But sometimes, they go wrong. That same USA Today report found that nationally, 11,506 people have been killed in police chases between 1979 and 2013. That's an average of nearly one death per day. Of that number, more than 5,000 were innocent bystanders, most of whom were killed in their own car after being hit by a fleeing driver. In the state of Michigan, 27 people died as a result of police chases in 2014, according to Mlive. This is a significant increase from 16 deaths in 2013. While police chases like the one that happened on I-75 can be exciting and look like they are straight out of an action movie, it is clear that they can also be extremely dangerous. For more information on the dangers of high-speed police chases, check out this recent post from The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC blog.

High speed pursuits are dangerous for everyone involved - the police, the suspect, and innocent bystanders who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like any instance in which a car is speeding, motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian car crashes are possible. Call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation if you have been involved in an automobile accident. Our attorneys work hard to help those who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents.