Detroit, MI
23-year-old passenger killed in Detroit car crash after hitting fallen tree
23-year-old passenger killed in Detroit car crash after colliding with fallen tree
“Slow down, slow down. You do not have to drive fast to prove a point – whether it’s a fast car or slow car,” said Paula Mitchell, the cousin of Courtney Perry – a passenger who was killed in a car crash on Detroit’s east side.
DETROIT, Mich. (FOX 2) – A 23-year-old woman died of her injuries after a car she was in crashed, and the driver fled. While the family of Courtney Perry prepares for a balloon release this weekend, they are pleading for drivers to be more cautious.
“Slow down, slow down. You do not have to drive fast to prove a point – whether it’s a fast car or slow car,” said Paula Mitchell, Perry’s cousin and family spokesperson. “There were three other lives in that vehicle with that driver, and unfortunately, my cousin Courtney was the only one that had lost her life.”
The accident took place at 1:53 a.m. Oct. 6, on the 14100 Block of Seymour, according to Detroit police. A black Dodge Durango crashed into a fallen tree that was lying in the street; Perry was one of the passengers, seated in the backseat.
The man driving fled the scene, leaving behind three passengers in critical condition – including Perry, who was fatally injured.
The tree was removed from the street later in the morning on Oct. 6.
“What led to this? It was raining that night. Why would you drive so recklessly on a wet road?” Mitchell continued. “I’m hoping for tips, some closure, and to give this mother and the family some more answers – detailed answers.”
“The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation,” police said in a news release. “Preliminarily, it appears that the driver of the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the collision.”
The balloon release in honor of Perry will be held at the accident site in Detroit, on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.
Read below for the entire DPD statement on the investigation:
“The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation. Preliminarily, it appears that the driver of the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the collision. The Department’s investigation will include extensive forensic examination of the vehicle and its components for purposes of determining whether a referral to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is warranted under the circumstances. The Department will also inquire into whether any other factors were involved in the collision taking place.”