DETROIT – Metro Detroit is experiencing a rise in wrong-way drivers -- with two occurring early New Year’s Eve.
One happened on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak and the other on I-75 in Warren.
Both incidents happened Tuesday, Dec. 31.
In Royal Oak, the driver of a van was reportedly speeding the wrong way on Woodward Avenue, near 13 Mile Road, where they crossed the median and crashed into a dance studio. Police said it was an older driver who simply was confused.
In Warren, Michigan State Police were called out for a wrong-way driver on I-75. Luckily, no other vehicles were hit as the driver struck a wall.
It’s not the only wrong-way driver recently. Earlier in December, a DDOT bus driver was hospitalized after being struck on the Lodge Freeway by a wrong-way driver. He remains in the hospital with his family at his side.
A little more than a week earlier, another wrong-way crash on the Lodge Freeway killed one and critically injured another.
In September, two people were killed on the Lodge when a southbound driver struck a northbound vehicle.
Earlier this year, a wrong-way driver killed three people in a minivan on I-75.
Local 4 crime and safety expert Darnell Blackburn said everyone needs to be on the lookout and be ready to get out of the way.
“Be prepared to defensively drive,” Blackburn said. “That means keeping both hands on the steering wheel and if a vehicle is coming towards you, you can maintain better control by swerving and avoiding a head-on collision.”
Law enforcement continues to investigate if these wrong-way drivers are under the influence or if they’re confused by signage getting on and off freeways. Oak