Multiple people were injured at Detroit Metro Airport’s McNamara terminal on Friday evening after a vehicle smashed through glass entrance doors and plowed into a Delta Air Lines baggage check-in area. The Mercedes sedan sent glass showering over bystanders before its driver was hauled away by law enforcement.

Footage of the individual being arrested shows them incoherently ranting about « something downstairs, » suggesting a mental episode may be behind the incident. Six people were treated at the scene for injuries, although none were reported as serious.

Vehicle Smashes Into Detroit’s McNamara Terminal

As reported by Detroit News, the incident happened at around 07:30 PM on Friday evening at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), sending several bystanders into a panic. The vehicle — which appears to be a Mercedes S-Class sedan — sprayed glass and debris through the McNamara terminal’s entrance area, causing minor injuries to a handful of people but panicking many more, with witnesses reporting hearing a loud crash as passengers fled for their safety.

As per footage recorded by multiple onlookers, the vehicle ended up crashing into Delta counters before the driver — wearing a Detroit Lions NFL jersey — exited while shouting and gesturing to the crowd. Law enforcement and TSA agents responded quickly to apprehend the man, who was heard rambling frantically as he was dragged out of the terminal. In a statement, Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) Police Department confirmed that a vehicle « drove into the entrance of the McNamara Terminal, » before smashing into a « ticket counter. » The WCAA added,

« The incident occurred at approximately 7:30 this evening. The driver is in custody and the cause of the crash is unknown at this time. The WCAA Fire Department treated six people at the scene. We’ll provide more information as it becomes available. »

Vehicle Barrier Fail

A video clip from outside the terminal shows the path the vehicle took as it breached through the glass entrance. The entrance doors had metal vehicle bollards installed in front, yet the car appears to have driven straight through one of them. Freeze frames of footage from inside the terminal appear to show the bollard stuck inside the car, suggesting it breached the windshield during the initial impact.

Bollards are commonly installed in places deemed high security risks, such as airports, government buildings, and pedestrian-dense areas. However, not all bollards are rated for crash impacts, with shallow-mounted designs not able to stop a heavy vehicle. The investigation into this incident will likely examine how these devices failed to sufficiently stop the vehicle.

As the biggest carrier at DTW with its operations housed at McNamara terminal, this incident fortunately did not detrimentally impact Delta’s operations. Portions of the terminal were closed off as emergency teams cleared up the mess, although Delta has not reported any direct flight cancellations as a result of this incident. Simple Flying has contacted Delta for comment and will update this article accordingly.

Airport Terminal Safety

The driver involved was taken into custody, with no further details on their identity released, while Delta said that three of its employees were checked for injuries at the scene.

An incident like this can be difficult for authorities to defend against, particularly if existing defenses like bollards are not effective. Because vehicles are allowed to temporarily stop at curbside areas, access to roads next to the terminal is open to everyone.

There have been several incidents at US airports in recent years involving unauthorized vehicle access. Although crashing into a check-in desk might be a first, there have been multiple instances of vehicles breaching airside areas. This includes a man who drove a truck through an airport gate at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and a similar incident involving a car at Dallas Love Field last summer.