A disoriented man drove his car through the doors of Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Friday morning, alarming travelers in a busy terminal but causing no major injuries, authorities said.
Incident Details
The 67-year-old driver was immediately arrested after his SUV came to a stop inside the Evans Terminal, according to Tadarial Sturdivant, vice president of emergency and support services. The man appeared “very disoriented” and told officials he was at the airport to meet actor Tom Cruise and “to save his dad,” Sturdivant said.
“It is hard for me to put semblance behind it,” Sturdivant added. A woman who tried to avoid the vehicle declined treatment for a possible leg injury.
How the Vehicle Entered
Sturdivant explained that the car was traveling the wrong way in front of the terminal and managed to squeeze between concrete barriers near the entrance. The gaps between the barriers are required under federal regulations, but the suburban Detroit airport is working on a redesign to address the issue.
Witness Accounts
Sedeq Arshuhtpi, an airport employee, told WDIV-TV: “It was scary, man, like, we didn’t know what to do. We don’t know what’s inside that car. There’s a lot of people around. There could be a threat, so everybody was nervous.”
Previous Incident
In January, a similar incident occurred when a man drove his car at high speed into the airport’s McNamara Terminal. That driver emerged from the vehicle yelling incoherently and was arrested.
