Woman Critically Injured In Rear-End Crash; Witness Says Driver Was Drunk
DETROIT (WWJ) - Authorities say a 20-year-old woman is in critical condition after the car she was riding in was rear-ended while stopped at a red light on Detroit's east side.
The accident happened early Wednesday morning on Gratiot Avenue and Forest, between Warren and Mack avenues.
The collision sent one vehicle a good 50 yards from where the crash took place, while the other vehicle rolled over at least once and ended up completely off the road.
A man who did not want to be named told WWJ's Mike Campbell that two women and a man were in the car that got rear ended. One of the women, who was sitting in the back seat, was critically injured and is now fighting for her life.
"Her boyfriend and her friend were in a car at a red light. A Chrysler 300, apparently [the driver] was drunk, at a high rate of speed hit them," he said.
Police confirmed the back seat passenger was initially trapped in the vehicle and was unconscious when taken away from the scene. The driver of the other vehicle, a 37-year-old woman, was also taken to the hospital with various injuries and was last reported in stable condition.
Police declined to comment on other details of the investigation, which remains ongoing. Sources at the hospital say alcohol was in fact detected in the older woman's blood.
While police had Gratiot closed, there was another accident involving two cars in which the drivers tried using the sidewalk to go around police barricades. No serious injuries were reported in that crash.
Gratiot Avenue has since reopened to traffic.
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.
