Redford Township, MI (June 8, 2026) – A 40-year-old man died on Sunday night, June 7, after driving the wrong way on Telegraph Road and triggering a series of collisions involving eight vehicles near Five Mile Road. The wreck was reported at approximately 11 p.m.
According to police, the man was behind the wheel of a burgundy Dodge Durango, traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Telegraph Road. He struck two vehicles just north of Five Mile Road, then continued at high speed and hit another vehicle stopped at a traffic light near the turnaround north of that intersection.
That collision set off a chain reaction, with additional vehicles stopped at the light also getting struck. The Durango driver was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
All other people involved in the accident reported minor or no injuries. Telegraph Road in that stretch was temporarily closed to allow for on-site work following the crash.
No names beyond that of the deceased driver’s age were included in the initial report on the collision. The police are continuing their review of what led the man to drive into oncoming traffic, and updates are expected as the inquiry moves forward.
We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the man who lost his life.
What Makes Wrong-Way Crashes on Michigan Roads So Dangerous?
Wrong-way crashes are among the most deadly types of traffic collisions because they involve head-on contact at high speed with little to no time for either driver to react. When a vehicle enters a divided road traveling in the wrong direction, other drivers usually have only a fraction of a second to recognize the danger and attempt to avoid it. The outcome is frequently severe, even when only two vehicles are directly involved.
Multi-vehicle wrong-way crashes add another layer of complexity. A single wrong-way driver can trigger a chain of secondary collisions, as was the case here, where stopped vehicles at an intersection become part of the sequence. Each additional vehicle involved increases the number of people at risk, even if the initial point of contact involves just one or two cars.
Michigan roads with medians and turnarounds, like divided sections of Telegraph Road, are designed to reduce head-on risk. However, no road design fully eliminates the danger when a driver travels in the wrong direction at high speed.
