BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A suspect in a hit-and-run in Brighton Township was fleeing the crash on foot, running into a nearby wooded area before finding a hiding spot at a nearby home behind a trailer in a driveway.
Little did he know, deputies had already found him with a drone and were readying to make an arrest.
This happened Wednedsday around 2:30 p.m. near Kensington and Stobart roads
“As he (deputy) was coordinating ground units to respond to the residence to attempt to take the person into custody, a vehicle had pulled into the driveway and picked the subject up and left onto Kensington Road,” Lt. Chad Sell with the Livingston County Sheriff's Office said.
Sell says before they could make the arrest, they watched as the vehicle — which they assumed was being driven by the suspect’s friend — pulled into the driveway.
“At that point, we had no idea what the vehicle was pulling up for but obviously, we were able to see him nonchalantly walk up to the vehicle and enter it, so we assumed he had made contact with someone for a ride,” Sell said. "The last thing we were thinking was that it was an Uber that could respond that fast to that location."
Within minutes, deputies converged on the car on Kensington Road, blocking it in from the front and back. The driver is seen exiting with his hands up in shock. As it turns out, he didn’t know the suspect at all.
“After speaking with the driver of the vehicle, that's when we determined he worked for Uber and had no idea what was happening,” Sell said.
After allegedly hitting another car while driving impaired and with a suspended license, that 35-year-old suspect from Canton ran off and decided Uber was his best chance of getting away. He was not aware a drone was following him or that his Uber driver was a retired police officer.
“There’s a couple things that make the story funnier," Sell said. "Yes, it was an Uber driver. Yes, he was compliant. Yes, he had no idea what was happening. But at the same time, he was a retired police officer.”
7 Action News found the home where the suspect was hiding and talked to the homeowner, who had no idea any of this took place until we showed him the video. He was at work when it happened and is just thankful that the suspect never tried breaking into his home or garage.
