Two men who separately crashed vehicles into the two main terminals at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport this year now face attempted murder charges, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced on Monday, CBS News Detroit reported. The charges are allegations, and neither driver has been convicted.
Source: CBS News Detroit via 105.9 Kiss-FM Detroit
The first crash happened on January 23 at about 7:30 p.m., when a Mercedes-Benz sedan drove into the entrance of the McNamara Terminal near the Delta Air Lines check-in counters and struck a ticket counter, according to the reports. CBS News Detroit reported that two airport employees and a TSA agent were hurt by debris, and firefighters helped six people at the scene. The driver was identified in CBS coverage as Brian Sutton, 37, of Clinton Township, who allegedly made a sharp turn and drove directly into the building.
The second crash struck the Evans Terminal on May 29 at about 9:30 a.m. Police said a Cadillac SUV driven by a 67-year-old man went the wrong way down Rogell Drive, passed through a gap between the barricades outside the terminal and drove through the front door, stopping just short of a security checkpoint. One passenger suffered a minor injury while avoiding the vehicle, declined care and boarded her flight. Officers said the driver appeared confused, told police he had come to 'meet Tom Cruise and save his dad,' and no guns or other weapons were found.
Since the January crash, airport leaders have been studying permanent barrier options and crews installed temporary barriers; after the January incident the airport also installed heavy concrete bollards at terminal entrances, according to earlier reporting.
Prosecutors announced the attempted murder charges against both drivers on Monday, according to CBS News Detroit. The cases will now proceed through the courts, where both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.