Detroit Metro officials promise new permanent barriers after vehicle crash at McNamara Terminal
The Wayne County Airport Authority is looking into permanent barrier options after a driver crashed a vehicle into the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport last month.
That was among the details provided during a press conference on Thursday on the circumstances.
The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, when a still-unidentified driver crashed a 2024 Mercedes-Benz 300 into the McNamara Terminal near Delta Air Lines' check-in counters. The driver was arrested and is undergoing a medical evaluation, Delta said.
Airport authorities said one TSA employee, two Delta employees and four passengers were checked at the scene for possible injuries. Security video shown at the press conference showed people running away from the car as it careened inside, and also one TSA employee tending to a person who appeared to be injured in the immediate aftermath.
Tadarial Sturdivant, Wayne County Airport Authority Senior Vice President of Emergency and Support Services & Operations, also provided an update on the investigation and discussed new security measures implemented this week at Detroit Metro Airport.
The first step, invoked within days, was installing 9,000-pound cement barriers outside airport entrances to prevent a future breach.
Sturdivant said while the temporary barriers may not be aesthetically pleasing, they are functional for now. He explained that the crash into the building was not stopped by the bollards that were already at the entrance.
"I would rather be safe than pretty," he said about the cement barriers.
The airport authority has established a work group with airline representatives to study options for permanent security barriers. Sturdivant explained that there is an engineering challenge in that some of the driving lanes approaching McNamara Terminal are actually bridges, and the weight of anything added to that area needs to be considered against structural capacity.
Because airport officials are a long way from knowing what design will be appropriate, a cost estimate is not available.
In the meantime, the crash itself remains under investigation. Sturdivant said toxicology reports are pending with Michigan State Police. The driver is in medical care. Technicians are working on what data may have been recorded by the vehicle's electronics. No charges have been filed at this time, Sturdivant said there is "insufficient evidence" that any sign of terrorism was involved.
When police approached the driver, he explained that the man appeared to be incoherent and was speaking "gibberish."
"I've been with the airport for 27 years, and what occurred on January 23rd at the McNamara Terminal is unprecedented. It has definitely changed our security posture," said Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Chad Newton in a statement. "When the investigation is finished, police will present their findings to the prosecutor's office to determine what, if any, charges should be filed."
The door inside the terminal that was impacted by the crash is still boarded up, and the ticket counter is blocked off.