DETROIT (WXYZ) — Two people are dead and a man is in police custody after a driver struck and killed two pedestrians outside a bar on Detroit's west side early Sunday morning.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Detroit police say the crash happened around 2:15 a.m. Sunday near Teresa's Place Bar in the area of McNichols Road and Schaefer Highway. The victims, 43-year-old Erica Smith and 51-year-old Dawad Helton, were friends who had been at the bar together. Both died at the scene.
Bystanders pulled the suspected driver from his car to keep him from leaving the scene, according to the victims' families.
Nina Campbell, Smith's sister, described what she was told about the moments leading up to the crash.
"I heard he sped out of the bar and lost control and hit them and then he tried to leave and backed over them again," Campbell said.
Watch our extended interview with Erica Smith's sister below:
Helton's sister, Kamilah, said her brother's final moments have been difficult to process.
"But he laid there with no love, no support — just to die in the middle of the street," Kamilah Helton said.
Watch our extended interview with Dawad Helton's family below:
Both Smith and Dawad Helton were parents and grandparents. Kamilah Helton described the toll the loss has already taken on her brother's youngest child.
"The 13-year-old broke down last night and said her daddy won't be able to walk her down the aisle when she gets married," Kamilah Helton said.
Kamilah Helton said her brother was simply out enjoying time with friends when his life was taken.
"Dawad was a good person, just out having fun, hanging with friends and someone decided to take a drink or several drinks and killed two innocent people," Kamilah Helton said.
Dawad Helton's mother, Brenda, also spoke about the impact of her son's death.
"You made a terrible, terrible problem with two families that lost two people that loved their mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. And I loved my son. He called me every day to say 'mother, I love you,'" Brenda Helton said.
Campbell reflected on the loss of her sister.
"It hurts extremely bad and like I said, my sister was a wonderful person and her life should never have been taken so soon and we're gonna miss her so, so much. Yeah, my gosh, we're gonna miss her so, so much," Campbell said.
Detroit police have not confirmed whether alcohol was a factor in the crash, saying the circumstances remain under investigation. The suspect, a Detroit man in his 20s, remains in police custody. Once the investigation is complete, Detroit police will forward their findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for a charging decision.
Anyone with additional information about the crash is asked to contact Detroit police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
A GoFundMe has been established to support Dawad Helton's funeral and family.
A GoFundMe has also been established to honor Erica Smith's life.
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