During strict stay-at-home orders in April, street racers seemed to take advantage of open roads. In just one night, Detroit police issued more than 30 tickets for violations and impounded at least 10 cars. Under Michigan Vehicle Code Section 257.626(a), it’s illegal for any person to partake in a “speed or acceleration contest” from a starting point for a measured or unmeasured distance.
If you were in an accident with a street racer, you should seek legal representation from an auto accident attorney.
What Is Street Racing?
Street racing is an illegal form of auto racing that occurs on public roads. In the United States, modern street racing has its roots back to Woodward Avenue, Michigan in the 1960s with the three leading Detroit-based American car companies. Street racing grew even more popular thanks to the movie franchise The Fast and the Furious.
There are four main types of street racing you need to be aware of on Michigan roads: spontaneous, pre-staged, closed, and all-out racing. All pose a serious risk to drivers.
Spontaneous Racing
This race is not planned, and the drivers often do not know each other. Most of these races start at stoplights with one driver revving their engine. A race may simply be to the next light or go much further.
Pre-Staged Racing
Drivers meet up beforehand, usually in a parking lot, and discuss who will race each other and where. It may start at a stoplight or a rolling start where a driver honks their horn three times to signal the beginning of the race.
Closed Racing
While no street racing is particularly safe, many street racers deem closed racing as the safest. This type of racing is usually in industrial parks or on less-traveled roads.
All-Out Racing
Multiple racers compete for large amounts of money or even vehicle registrations. They may race across town or for a set amount of miles. Since there’s so much at stake for racers, this is often considered the most dangerous type of street racing.
How to Avoid Street Racers
Street racing is a hazardous activity and poses a severe risk to other motorists. The most common time for racers is after midnight but before dawn. To keep yourself safe, especially if you live in an area commonly used for street racing, it may be in your best interest to stay off the roads during this time. However, if this is unavoidable, it’s vital to practice extreme caution when on the streets.
When a traffic light turns green, wait an extra second to ensure there is no traffic coming from the other direction. Street racers are reckless and may not stop for a red light at 4 a.m. If you’re at a red light, and the driver next to you is revving their engine or gesturing hand signals at you, they likely want a race. Do not engage or make eye contact. Once the light turns green, they’ll most likely speed away. If you can safely do so, get their license plate number. Once you’re at a safe location, report the incident to law enforcement.
Compensation for Auto Accidents Caused by Street Racing
Street racers are often driving at excessive speeds and fail to stop at stop signs or traffic lights. The concept of street racing involves an extreme level of disregard for the rules of the road and a severe disregard for others’ safety. Unfortunately, more and more drivers seem to be getting involved in street racing in Michigan. Below are some of the more common auto accidents related to street racing:
Broken bones
Wrongful death
Spinal cord injury
Burns and lacerations
Brain injury
Pain and suffering
After being in an auto accident, it’s vital to seek medical attention immediately. Many injuries can be treated if caught quickly. However, some conditions may not appear right away, and doctors can diagnose internal injuries.
Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney in Michigan
After being in an accident involving illegal street racers, you may feel overwhelmed or helpless. The skilled attorneys at the Michigan Legal Center can fight for justice on your behalf and walk you through the next steps.
With over 20 years of experience, our auto accident attorneys can provide you with the knowledge and legal representation you need after suffering injuries because of another party’s negligence. Call (248) 886-8650 or complete an online contact form to schedule a free consultation.
Among cities across the U.S., Detroit has experienced a very high number of cases of COVID-19, leaving the city’s once-thriving downtown quiet and nearly deserted, and hospitals overwhelmed with new patients. With a population of 670,000, many of the city’s low-income residents had been battling asthma and other chronic diseases before the coronavirus pandemic struck, so the virus has placed a heavy burden on the city.
Even more startling for many residents is just how rapidly — and devastatingly — the virus has struck the city’s police department, with even the police chief testing positive and more than 500 police officers ending up in quarantine.
Many are tracing the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the Detroit police department to a community event designed to focus on how to improve the community experience with the Detroit Police Department.
Why Did COVID-19 Hit the Detroit Police Department So Hard?
On March 6, 90 Detroit police officers attended a “Police and Pancakes” breakfast sponsored by the 9th Precinct on the east side of Detroit. Marlowe Stoudamire, a community activist and neighborhood organizer, spoke about creating a dialogue between the community and the police department, as attendees ate scrambled eggs and pancakes.
Within two weeks, Stoudamire had died from COVID-19 at the age of 43. Three police department employees who attended the breakfast also got sick.
Since then, the department has been one of the hardest-hit law enforcement agencies in the nation, and COVID-19 also infected Chief James Craig. Every precinct in the department has since been affected by the pandemic, although the 9th precinct was among those hardest hit, with 46 members quarantined. At least 39 officers have tested positive for COVID-19 and the virus has claimed the lives of two officers. That included homicide Capt. Jonathan Parnell and a 911 call taker who both worked in the headquarters building.
How Has the Detroit Police Department Responded to the Crisis?
The Detroit Health Department didn’t learn about the COVID-19 test results tied to the Police and Pancakes breakfast until March 17, and that’s when the health department recommended that any officer who attended the event should go into quarantine. The police department also responded by bulking up on masks, hand sanitizer and other protective items, and set up a command center to react to the outbreak.
Assistant Chief David LeValley, who gave a speech at the breakfast and was later among those quarantined, said his department has never faced a crisis like this one. He noted:
“We can train all day for certain kinds of threats out on the street that they can see. But when you’re dealing with something that you can’t see, it’s nerve-wracking. We’re not in a position to stay home and work from home, we just have to go out and face it head on. It definitely is making officers nervous.”
However, the police department also reports that crime is down in Detroit. With so many under the statewide Stay At Home order, the city is mostly quiet.
Is Michigan Still Under a Stay At Home Order?
Michigan remains under a Stay At Home order. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a two-week extension of the stay-home order, now through May 28. However, Whitmer and members of the Michigan Economic Recovery Council also released a “MI Safe Start Plan” for reopening the state, and the governor allowed the manufacturing industry, construction, real estate and numerous industries that primarily work outdoors to reopen with safety measures in place.
Construction and real-estate are resuming for a gradual ramp-up, with workers wearing face masks and practicing frequent hand-sanitizing and physical-distancing. New construction work is expected to quickly ramp up in downtown Detroit. The Home Builders Association of Michigan predicted demand would be strong for new residential construction. Bob Filka, CEO of the association, said in a statement:
“With residential construction permits up by 10% from last year, we know there is demand and a need for housing in our communities. We are proud of our members for working hard to adjust their work practices to meet new health safety guidelines.”
Experienced Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys Available
Your rights are important to us. If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident that was due to the negligence of others, contact theattorneys at the Michigan Legal Center. We also specialize in protecting our clients from all manner of police brutality and misconduct. With more than 20 years of experience and more than $200 million worth of legal cases, we’re here to defend the residents of Michigan.
The attorneys at the Michigan Legal Center are happy to answer any questions you may have and offer advice on what you need to do to receive compensation after experiencing an injury. Call 1-800-961-8447 for yourfree consultation.
Can it become a crime to stand too close to someone either in public or while indoors? As the coronavirus pandemic slams the state, mayors across Michigan are putting that theory to the test.
After the city of Detroit became a hotspot for COVID-19, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statewide Stay At Home order on March 24. Originally slated to end on April 14, the order has since been extended to May 28. The governor urged residents to remain safe by staying at home and avoiding contact with others while practicing social distancing when outside their homes. There have been more than 45,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Michigan, and more than 4,000 deaths.
Since then, several of Michigan’s mayors have warned that if social distancing measures are not taken seriously or followed, the health crisis could get worse. Those mayors have announced their intentions to more vigorously enforce Whitmer’s Stay At Home order.
How are Michigan’s Mayors Responding to Social Distancing Violators?
With Detroit being among the hardest-hit cities in the country, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was one of the earliest to announce plans to step up enforcement of social distancing rules to help slow the spread of the pandemic.
Duggan said the city would start issuing misdemeanor citations punishable by $1,000 fines and six months in jail for those who ignore social distancing practices. The mayor said he was particularly concerned about how devastatingly the pandemic had struck the city’s police department, with COVID-19 infecting Chief James Craig, sending many officers into quarantine, and claiming the lives of two officers.
As the mayor noted:
“We are going to have to deal far more strictly on enforcing the governor’s order on social distancing … We don’t want to be fining anybody, but we can’t be having these gatherings, we can’t be having folks on the street.”
Enforcement measures that have been taken include increased patrols, plane flyovers, and heightened video surveillance to prevent crowds from gathering. Duggan announced the crackdown one day after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officially gave local police departments the ability to fine violators or impose criminal penalties for breaking social distancing rules. Detroit police also began monitoring security cameras outside convenience stores for signs of crowds.
How Are Other Michigan Mayors Enforcing Social Distancing?
Detroit wasn’t acting alone. In Warren, Michigan’s third-largest city, Mayor Jim Fouts announced that the city’s police would start cracking down on violations of Whitmer’s executive order. That included the mandate to maintain social distancing at all times and to wear masks in stores.
Fouts said he made this decision after getting a flood of emails and text messages from citizens worried about local residents and businesses not obeying social distancing orders or failing to wear masks.
The mayor instructed the Warren Police Department to begin conducting patrols in retail areas, with officers having the ability to issue warnings or citations for failing to comply. As the mayor noted:
“I understand that this may pose a hardship on some businesses, but such a hardship is insignificant when compared to the threat posed to our community, particularly our senior citizens and those with pre-existing conditions, by COVID-19 … Whether people like it or not, they have to follow the governor’s executive orders, and they have to maintain social distancing and wear masks.”
At the same time, the suburban community of Bloomfield Township began sending drones over golf courses and playgrounds to watch for any large gatherings.
What Happens When Michigan Ends the Stay At Home Order?
The governor’s Stay At Home order extends through May 28, although Whitmer has allowed certain industries to reopen if workers employ safety measures. Those industries include construction, manufacturing, real estate, and most outdoor work.
But even after the Stay At Home order gets lifted, Michigan’s residents are expected to still follow social distancing rules when they’re out in public, and the state will have specialized surveillance cameras in some shopping centers to monitor the distance between customers in checkout lines.
The governor’s office has called this a new norm, at least until it’s clear that COVID-19 is no longer considered a serious public health threat or that a vaccine has been developed and is readily available. And that means making sure healthy people don’t contract the virus when they start heading out in public or going shopping.
Personal Injury Attorneys Ready to Help You Today
At this crucial time, the rights and safety of all Michigan’s residents are important to us. If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident that was due to the negligence of others, contact theattorneys at the Michigan Legal Center. We also specialize in protecting our clients from all manner of police brutality and misconduct. With more than 20 years of experience and more than $200 million worth of legal cases, we’re here to defend the residents of Michigan.
The attorneys at the Michigan Legal Center are happy to answer any questions you may have and offer advice on what you need to do to receive compensation after experiencing an injury. Call 1-800-961-8447 for yourfree consultation.
Tragically, the city of Detroit has become a new “hotspot” for cases of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Michigan has joined New York and Louisiana as being among the hardest-hit states during this ongoing health crisis.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had issued a statewide “stay-at-home” order on March 24, 2020 that was originally slated to end on April 14, but is expected to be extended as coronavirus cases continue rising. Gov. Whitmer has urged residents to stay safe by staying at home and avoiding contact with others, and practice social distancing when they are outside their home. Whitmer’s order included closing most public spaces such as restaurants, gyms and bars.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases in Michigan has risen to 15,718, which includes 617 deaths. About 80% of the cases are in the Metro Detroit area of Wayne and Oakland counties, and that area could hit its peak by mid-April. In the meantime, FEMA is sending 300 ventilators to Michigan to assist medical and hospital workers there.
“People are taking it seriously, and I think that’s a good thing,” Whitmer said of the stay-home order during a press conference on April 6. “To see the real benefits of the work that we’ve done, it takes a few weeks to know what that really means.”
To learn more about how COVID-19 is impacting Michigan, visit here.
Important Facts to Know About Michigan’s Stay At Home order
When did the order go into place?
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued her Stay At Home order on March 24
When will the order be lifted?
The order was originally slated to expire on April 14 but is expected to be extended for an indefinite period.
What are violations and penalties associated with the order?
The state has been issuing warnings that violations of the Stay At Home order can result in a fine of up to $1,000
What kind of order is it?
Gov. Witmer has issued three executive orders that apply statewide
What are essential businesses?
The prohibition on public assemblages doesn’t apply to health care facilities, workplaces not open to the public, and those related to mass transit, the purchase of groceries or consumer goods, or agricultural or construction work.
Experienced Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys Here to Help
Your rights are important to us. If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident that was due to the negligence of others, contact theattorneys at the Michigan Legal Center. We’re here to defend the residents of Michigan.
The attorneys at the Michigan Legal Center are happy to answer any questions you may have and offer advice on what you need to do to receive compensation after experiencing an injury. Call 1-800-961-8447 for yourfree consultation.
