WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Warren police are releasing more information about a deadly accident between a patrol car and a civilian vehicle that injured two officers and killed two civilians.
It happened at around 5 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Schoenherr Road and Prospect Avenue. Warren police say the Macomb County Sheriff's office will handle the investigation going forward.
Related Video: Two dead, two officers hospitalized in early morning Warren crash
Warren police say two officers in a fully marked car were traveling southbound on Schoenherr when they struck a white Dodge Durango that was turning westbound onto Prospect from Schoenherr. At this point, officers have not said which driver is considered at fault.
Both the driver and the passenger of the Durango were pronounced deceased following the crash. They have been identified as 34-year-old Cedric Hayden and 33-year-old DeJuan Pettis. Family members tell 7 Action News the men had completed their morning shifts at Chrysler at the time of the accident.
"He was on his way home ... to his two daughters, he's got two daughters," said the cousin of Cedric Hayden.
Both officers were also injured in the crash. The officer in the passenger seat sustained critical injuries, including several broken bones and head trauma. He underwent extensive surgery Monday. The officer who was driving was also taken to the hospital in critical condition. Both remain hospitalized in stable condition.
Warren police are also attempting to squash rumors and speculation related to the crash. They say at no time were the "officers engaged in a pursuit of the white Dodge Durango or any other vehicle when the crash occurred" and that while a break-in at a business and vehicle pursuit did occur nearby a few hours after the crash, "investigators are confident that Hayden and Pettis were not suspects in any business break-ins currently under investigation by the Warren Police Department. Moreover, investigators are certain that the Dodge was legally registered to Pettis and thus was not considered or investigated as a stolen vehicle."
