MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. — A family movie night in Madison Heights was interrupted Thursday evening when a car traveling on I-75 veered off the interstate and crashed into a family's yard.
Madison Heights police say the vehicle was traveling on I-75 between 12 and 13 Mile when it veered from the interstate into the nearby neighborhood and directly into the Scharf family's parked car directly in front of their home. Michigan State Police are investigating the exact cause of the crash.
The driver most likely flew over the embankment and cleared a fence before hitting the driveway and continuing into the yard. None of the fencing directly in the neighborhood was damaged. The 21-year-old driver was seen walking around on home surveillance video after the crash and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Surveillance video showing the driver walking around moments after the crash:
Gwyn Scharf, who was inside the home when the crash occurred, said the car alarm was going off and the driver's vehicle began to catch fire shortly after.
"It was just kind of like shock at first, it didn't feel real at first," Scharf said.
Scharf says the family does not typically park in front of the home, and that the change in routine may have been the only thing that stopped the car from going straight into the house.
"I guess it's best possible scenario that could've happened, because if that wasn't there he would've been in our house," Scharf added.
The section of Northbound I-75 where the crash occurred has no guardrails and no sound wall. Scharf said there used to be trees separating the neighborhood from the interstate, but that the Michigan Department of Transportation removed them when reworking the interstate. The family is now hoping the incident prompts MDOT to reevaluate safety in the area.
"At least a guard rail of some sort, maybe not a full sound wall, but something there to prevent this from happening again," Scharf said.
Car parts remained scattered across the property following the crash, leaving the family with significant cleanup.
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