DETROIT (WXYZ) — Police have arrested the man they say is responsible for a fatal hit and run early Friday around 7:30 am on Woodward Avenue near Palmer Park.
The victim was a 70-year-old man, out for a morning run. The Detroit Police Department knows when and where the hit and run happened but many of the details are still unclear.
DPD Commander of Major Crimes Michael McGinnis explained what police knew, “About 7:30 this morning, our victim was jogging around Palmer Park, the victim was northbound on Woodward when a vehicle struck the victim,” explained McGinnis.
He said they are not yet releasing the identity of the victim because they are still working to notify his family.
“After the accident, the driver fled the location and then a short time later the driver surrendered himself to the 12th precinct. They’ve been arrested and they are in the process of being interviewed,” said McGinnis.
He said the driver is a man in his 50s.
The area where the jogger was killed is grassy with a deep sidewalk. Commander McGinnis said he’s seen other people running in that area.
“I am familiar with that area and often the joggers do use the far right lane of Woodward when they’re traveling northbound,” McGinnis said.
He said one factor in the hit and run is clear.
“The one thing the lead detective did tell me is that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and that was absolutely a factor in this incident,” explained McGinnis
Leonora King is the Tennis Director of People for Palmer Park. She works daily right near where the incident happened.
“Just the fact that it happened is troubling. And hopefully, you know, people will learn from this and not speed up and down Woodward Avenue. It’s not a race track,” said King.
She explained it’s not uncommon for others to be out running.
“It’s just terribly sad you know because people jog around here on a regular basis. And you want people to feel safe,” King said.
She reacted to the news the driver left the scene.
“It was a hit and run so I can only assume the person who did it was just not careful and not paying attention to what they were doing,” said King.
McGinnis encourages everyone to take it slow.
“Everybody’s in such a hurry and now two lives are, two families are going to be severely disrupted in large part because of speed,” he said.
