A car barreled through the front doors of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport’s McNamara Terminal on Friday evening and slammed into a ticket counter, prompting a heavy police response as officers pulled the shouting driver from the vehicle and detained him at the scene.
The Wayne County Airport Authority said six people were treated by airport fire crews for minor injuries after the crash inside the Delta Air Lines check-in area. The driver’s name had not been released as of Saturday and the motive remains under investigation by airport police. Officials said operations continued, though crews cordoned off the damaged entry with tape while debris was cleared from the lobby. The initial focus is confirming how the vehicle breached the terminal doors and whether any medical episode or impairment may have contributed. Investigators planned to review surveillance video, interview witnesses and examine the car, which remained surrounded by shattered glass and toppled kiosks Friday night.
Travelers said the sedan arrived with a roar and an echoing crash shortly after 7:30 p.m., scattering people near the Delta counters and drawing TSA officers, airport police and firefighters from the concourse within moments. Video recorded by bystanders shows a dark four-door luxury car at a stop inside the lobby, its hood and trunk ajar, and a man in a Detroit Lions jersey yelling as at least a half-dozen officers closed in. “They just kept saying, ‘Get down!’ and he wouldn’t,” said Joel Martinez, who was lining up to check a bag when the doors blew inward. Officers moved the man to the floor and handcuffed him while firefighters swept the area, Martinez said.
Airport officials said six people received on-site care for cuts or other minor injuries from flying glass and debris. Delta said three employees were assessed by medical personnel and released. Authorities did not report any life-threatening injuries and said no explosives or weapons were found in the vehicle after a canine sweep. The crash damaged entrance doors, ticket kiosks and portions of the counter line, leaving a jagged opening where the car entered. The lobby was sectioned off while maintenance and cleaning crews worked into the night. Officials did not immediately detail the cost of repairs or provide damage estimates. The driver, described by witnesses as disoriented and shouting, was transported for evaluation after being taken into custody, airport police said.
Investigators are working to determine how the vehicle accelerated across the arrivals drive and into the terminal doors, a set of glass panels that typically open to foot traffic. The McNamara Terminal, home to Delta’s operations at DTW, handles a high volume of evening departures. Despite the turmoil nearby, the airline said its flight schedule was not disrupted. Passengers who had already cleared security remained at gates while ticketing staff shifted check-in lines away from the damaged area. Crews placed temporary barriers and swept up glass so workers could reopen adjacent doors and restore a safe path to the counter bank, according to airport officials familiar with the response.
Records show airport police routinely review vehicle approaches and access points on the terminal drives, which are designed to slow traffic with speed limits, marked crosswalks and curbside patrols. In the past decade, U.S. airports have hardened entrances, added bollards and increased camera coverage near ticket lobbies to deter vehicle incursions. DTW installed additional cameras and upgraded radios for first responders in recent years as part of broader safety improvements. Friday’s crash will likely prompt another look at door assemblies and approaches along the drop-off lane at McNamara, officials said, though they emphasized that a doorway breach by a single passenger car remains rare at the airport.
As of Saturday, the driver had not been charged. Airport police said detectives were gathering witness statements, compiling security footage from curbside and interior cameras, and awaiting reports from the fire department on injuries treated at the scene. Any criminal counts—such as malicious destruction of property or reckless driving—would be reviewed with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office after investigators complete interviews and vehicle examinations. Officials said they expect to release updated information on the driver’s condition and potential charges once preliminary findings are in hand. No formal briefing time was announced.
Passengers described a tense few minutes before the all-clear. “People screamed and ducked. You could taste dust in the air,” said Kiana Patel, who was headed to an evening flight to Atlanta. “Once they grabbed him, police were steady and loud, and folks calmed down.” Broom crews shoveled glass into rolling bins while maintenance teams checked ceiling tiles shaken loose by the impact. By late evening, the terminal’s public-address system advised travelers to use alternate doors and follow directions from staff. Ride-share drivers idled on the outer roadway as police kept the inner curb closed near the damaged entrance.
Airport officials said the lobby cleanup would continue through the weekend, with a fuller status update expected after inspections of the entrance framing and adjacent counters. The driver remained in custody for evaluation Saturday, and investigators were still reviewing video and statements. The next update from airport police is expected once they determine whether charges will be submitted to prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.