DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — An 18-year-old took road repairs into his own hands, spending $60 at Home Depot to fill potholes on Cherry Hill Road after growing frustrated with vehicle damage.
Drivers on the border of Dearborn Heights and Inkster have been dodging potholes on Cherry Hill Road for years. Ali Chami decided he was done waiting for a fix.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report below:
Chami drives on the road nearly every day to get to work from West Dearborn to Garden City. After spending over $600 on new tires in the past six months and seeing a friend's tire pop on the same road, he decided to step up to the plate.
"Yeah, very, very much," Chami said when I asked if fixing the potholes was personal to him.
On Saturday around 2 p.m., Chami bought four buckets of asphalt and filled the potholes himself.
"So pretty much, I just grabbed the cap of the bucket and I just scooped it out and spread it out, and I used it as a pushing point where I could just step on it and flatten it out," Chami said.
He documented the process on TikTok, expressing his frustration with the road conditions.
"Why is every single road but Cherry Hill getting fixed? That s*** is pissing me off. I swear to God. So you want to know what I’m about to do? I’m about to go to Home Depot and I’m about to put some f****** asphalt on the road for all the these potholes," Chami said.
In a follow-up clip showing his work, he celebrated the temporary fix.
"Yup, wallah, I do this s***," Chami said.
Related video: Potholes plague metro Detroit drivers, causing costly car repairs
Other drivers expressed similar frustrations by honking or yelling from behind the wheel.
"Potholes are getting horrible. I had to change my tire the last week," one driver said.
Chami's video quickly went viral, gaining over 175,000 views and prompting a response from local officials. Dearborn Heights Department of Public Works representative John Danci said the stretch of road from Gully to Inkster has been on their radar for five years.
Danci explained the roadblock in getting it fixed is due to the road involving three jurisdictions: the Wayne County Federal Aid Committee, Dearborn Heights and Inkster.
"Historically, between Dearborn Heights and the city of Inkster, the funding for a road project like this is much higher relative to our city budgets versus the county that gets a lot of state revenue," Danci said.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun also took notice, commenting on Chami's video to explain the city's efforts and announce future plans.
"I can tell you that we have patched Cherry Hill a few times already. Unfortunately, nothing is going to stick with the temperatures continuing to drop. The good news is that the city has been awarded a $2.6 million grant to fix all of Cherry Hill from Gully-Inkster. Project is expected to begin June 1st," Baydoun said.
While Danci expressed gratitude for the attention Chami brought to the issue, he joked that the city would not reimburse the teen for his $60 expense.
"You did something that at least gained a lot of attention," Danci said.
Chami said this may not be the last time he acts as an asphalt avenger.
"If I get enough funds to do it, I most definitely will. I'll probably call up a lot of my friends and my friends are down to do it," Chami said.
The city is reminding people not to take matters into their own hands and jeopardize their safety. Instead, officials urge residents to reach out to the city and file a complaint, as data drives their decisions.
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