One person has died and six more are being treated at the hospital after a hit-and-run crash Monday morning.
Police say the wreck happened on Grand River near Long Acre just after 1 a.m. when a driver heading down Grand River collided with another car and then ran through a building.
Neighbors say moments after the crash, the car caught fire. Police say a 20-year-old woman who has not been identified died at the scene.
Good Samaritans and neighbors pulled six additional passengers from the car. They were taken to the hospital in serious condition. As of Monday afternoon, four of the six passengers remained in serious condition.
"I heard the crash and came out my door and could hear a lady screaming. Walked to the corner and you could see the fire up over the top of the building," said one neighbor to Channel 7 news crews Monday.
Surveillance video from the Citgo gas station directly across from the crash site appears to show a driver traveling at a high rate of speed shortly before the wreck. However, it's unclear if police believe speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.
The damage from the car wreck and subsequent fire was so severe, crews had to demolish the structure after extinguishing the fire. Neighbors say the building had been long vacant. A pile of bricks and some debris from the car wreck now sits in the building's place.
"I hear a lot of accidents, because we’re close to the freeway over here, and never heard anything like that," said William Locke who lives a few houses away from the crash site. "We got up, came down the street, looked, and seen the building was in flames, fully engulfed. Probably within like 1 to 2 minutes of the crash."
Neighbors say dozens of people lined the road as the fire rolled through the building. Several people including workers from the gas station rushed to help the crash victims out of the car.
"It was very scary and, honestly, it was very sad. Everyone kind of knew there was someone still trapped in the car. No one knew how many people or who was trapped in the car," said Armand Bishop who lives nearby and went to the crash site Monday morning.
Investigators are now working to find the driver of the vehicle that left the scene.
"It’s a tragedy. It’s a sad thing to lose (someone). Very young, gorgeous lady living life, got a whole life ahead of her and something like this happened," said Bishop.
Anyone with information about the crash should contact Detroit Police.
