A car crashed through the entrance of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport’s McNamara Terminal on Friday night, striking Delta Air Lines ticket counters and injuring six people before police detained the driver at the scene, airport officials said. The chaotic moments sent travelers scrambling as glass and debris scattered across the lobby.
Airport authorities said the injuries were treated on site by the airport fire department and none were life-threatening. The driver’s name was not released as of the weekend, and the motive remains under investigation by airport police. The crash happened as evening departures were underway, prompting crews to cordon off the damaged doors and shift check-in lines while maintenance teams cleared broken glass. Officials said terminal operations continued with detours around the entrance area. Investigators planned to review surveillance video, interview witnesses and examine the vehicle as they decide whether to seek criminal charges with county prosecutors.
Witnesses reported the vehicle jumping the arrivals drive and ramming through a set of glass doors shortly after 7:30 p.m., coming to rest in front of the counters. Video recorded by travelers showed a dark luxury sedan inside the lobby with its hood and trunk open and debris trailing behind it. Officers converged within moments, confronted a man shouting near the driver’s door, and pulled him to the floor as bystanders moved back from the scene. “People screamed, and then police were there yelling clear commands,” said Joel Martinez, who was waiting to check a bag. “You could taste dust in the air.” Airport officials said six people sustained cuts or other minor injuries, including several airline employees, and were assessed by paramedics.
Police said the driver was taken into custody without shots fired and later transported for evaluation. Authorities did not immediately say what led up to the crash and declined to discuss whether a medical episode, impairment or mechanical issue played a role. A K-9 team checked the car, and officials said they found nothing hazardous inside. The impact shattered multiple door panels, damaged kiosks and bent sections of the ticket counter line, leaving a wide opening where the car entered. Crews set up temporary barriers and redirected foot traffic to adjacent doors while custodial teams cleared glass and inspected ceiling tiles shaken loose by the hit. The airport did not immediately provide a damage estimate.
The McNamara Terminal anchors Delta’s Detroit hub and handles heavy evening traffic. Friday night’s incident unfolded as travelers lined up for flights bound for Atlanta, New York and international destinations. Some passengers said they saw Transportation Security Administration officers and airport police sprinting through the check-in hall as alarms sounded near the entrance. Others described a rapid shift from confusion to calm once the driver was subdued and the immediate area was taped off. A woman who asked not to be named said she pulled her child behind a column as the car skidded to a stop. “It was just a loud crack and then sirens everywhere,” she said while waiting to rejoin her group.
Airports have increasingly hardened public-facing spaces over the past decade, adding cameras, bollards and other barriers to curbside approaches and ticket lobbies. Detroit Metro has repeatedly upgraded radios for first responders and expanded its camera network. Even so, vehicle breaches of terminal doors remain rare, and airport police said this case will likely trigger another review of door assemblies and traffic controls along the drop-off lanes. On Friday, after the scene was stabilized, maintenance staff swept glass into bins and set up caution tape while gate agents rerouted customers to working counters. Flights already past security continued boarding, officials said.
By Saturday, investigators were compiling statements from travelers and employees and collecting footage from curbside and interior cameras to map the car’s path from the roadway to the lobby. Airport police said they will confer with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office on potential counts that could include reckless driving or malicious destruction of property, depending on findings. The driver remained in custody pending interviews and medical checks. Officials declined to say whether prior incidents or calls involved the same person at the airport and did not release the vehicle’s registration information.
Civic leaders in Romulus and Wayne County praised first responders for the swift containment of the scene and the lack of severe injuries. Delta said several staff members who were nearest the impact were assessed and released. Travelers who had already cleared security were largely unaffected beyond announcements advising them to use other sets of doors on the departures level. Outside, ride-share drivers idled in the outer lane as police kept the inner curb closed near the damaged entrance and funneled pedestrians through alternate pathways. Workers expected cleanup to continue through the weekend.
As of Sunday, airport police had not announced charges or the driver’s identity. The agency said it would release an update after preliminary reviews of video, witness statements and vehicle inspections are complete. Any charging decision would be made with prosecutors early in the week. Crews planned additional inspections of the entrance framing and counter line before reopening the immediate area to normal traffic.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.