OAK PARK, MI — A late-night crash in Oak Park left an Uber driver dead and a 23-year-old passenger in critical condition after police say a 19-year-old driver ignored a traffic signal at a busy intersection. The collision happened around 11 p.m. Thursday at eastbound Eight Mile Road and Coolidge Highway.
Investigators say the 19-year-old was driving a Dodge Charger when it collided with a Buick Envision carrying the Uber driver and passenger. Police said surveillance video from the scene showed the Envision had the right of way. The driver of the Envision had to be extricated from the vehicle, and the passenger was ejected onto the roadway.
Police say intoxication may have played a role in the fatal collision
The preliminary investigation points to intoxication as a possible factor in the crash, according to Oak Park police. The 19-year-old driver suffered minor injuries, while an 18-year-old female passenger in the Charger was not hurt. Charges are pending.
The Uber driver’s identity has not been released. Police said the driver was taken to a nearby hospital after the crash and later died. When first responders arrived, the 23-year-old passenger was lying in the road, conscious and breathing, but he remained in critical condition afterward.
Surveillance video and reconstruction teams helped build the case
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation by handling accident reconstruction and reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses. Berkley police also helped at the scene, along with members of the Detroit Fire Department…