Suspected drunken driver in Burger King drive-thru hits officer with car
A suspected drunken driver struck and injured a Pittsfield Township police officer with a car Thursday afternoon in a Burger King parking lot before leading police on a short chase.
Pittsfield Township police responded to the incident.
Courtesy of the PTPD
Pittsfield Township Deputy Police Chief Gordy Schick released a statement Thursday afternoon detailing the incident at the Burger King at 6190 W. Michigan Ave. Police were called at 1:38 p.m. Thursday to the Burger King — nearly right across the street from the police station.
The two men inside a 2003 Ford Taurus were “causing a disturbance with employees” as they went through the drive-thru, Schick said. Police repeatedly told the 40-year-old Ypsilanti man who was driving to park the Taurus, but the man continued to disobey orders, he said.
“As officers continued to attempt to have the driver pull over, he accelerated at a high rate of speed through the parking lot and struck an officer before exiting the parking lot,” Schick said. “The officer was knocked to the ground and sustained minor injuries.”
Police pursued the Taurus on a short chase westbound on Michigan Avenue. Eventually, the pursuit ended at Michigan Avenue and Saulk Trail Drive.
Schick said the driver of the Taurus resisted arrest but was eventually subdued and taken into custody. It is unlikely the passenger in the vehicle will be charged in the incident.
Charges are pending against the driver, Schick said. Police believe the man was intoxicated.
The incident remains under investigation.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
hmsp
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 10:54 p.m.
"he accelerated at a high rate of speed" Cops love to incorrectly say, "high rate of speed" instead of "high speed." Ironically, this is one time they could have used it correctly, but Schick did not. To drive at a "high rate of speed" actually Means to accelerate. So it's either "accelerate," or , "drive at a high rate of speed," but not both. (And don't get me started on "home invasion," instead of B&E! But at least it wasn't cops who came up with that one, it was a few chest-thumping Michigan pols, back in the 90s...)
mady
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 7 p.m.
Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, hold the booze.....
UpperDecker
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 5:26 p.m.
40 year old man child, good luck with you criminal charges.
RJA
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 3:36 p.m.
I hope this Officer fully recovers and the court pust the idiot that struck him away.
mmill10227
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:37 p.m.
Wow! So is the township going to ask Burger King to Close at 12am till 6am because they are a public nuisance? Oh yea that is only in Ypsilanti Township!
UpperDecker
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 5:27 p.m.
Do you see a difference between 1 incident with a car and 225 various calls to police that sometimes center around a gun?
ThinkingOne
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:04 p.m.
Just based on casual observation as I drive by, it would seem this location has a high ratio of bad news articles per Whopper sold.
Chris
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:58 p.m.
This is the same place that some guy stabbed somebody. I went to the drive-thru there once (I was sober) and it seemed normal. Glad they finally sold the last car at the used car lot on the other side of Platt, maybe now they will build something cool. Also... the closed restaurant right off US23 - can anybody say BREWERY???
grimmk
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 9:31 a.m.
This is no laughing matter. The officer could have been seriously hurt. A friend of mine mother's was struck while walking past a drive through. He ran her over. The man broke both her legs. And then fled. She spent over a year in recovery and is in chronic pain. She is lucky to be alive.
Chris
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:57 p.m.
Those drive-thrus are dangerous. Should ban them.
Fat Bill
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 3:26 a.m.
Intentionally striking an officer with your car is sure way to make a felony mountain out of a misdemeanor molehill.
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:47 a.m.
We need to confiscate all dive-throughs, or at least the high-capacity ones.
mady
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 6:58 p.m.
Good luck with that one, as most fast-food chains do the majority of their business(hence more $$$)in the drive-thru. Never happen.
An Arborigine
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:09 p.m.
particularly the "military-style' assault drive-thrus
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 1:40 p.m.
Yes, that's my point.
John
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 1:37 p.m.
Tiresome and old....
An Arborigine
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:34 a.m.
Have it your way!
Dave
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 1:57 a.m.
Anyone that stopped for some horse meat should be arrested.
Chris
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
I bet that, even if BK wanted to use horse meat, it is more expensive than beef.
Basic Bob
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 11:03 a.m.
I saw horse at the grocery store in Italy, but I never tried it... knowingly. It might be better for you than the beef you get at some fast food chains, but I don't worry much about it. It all tastes good.
Ann English
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 12:58 a.m.
If he hadn't been intoxicated, he wouldn't have caused a disturbance in the first place. I would categorize this criminal as one of the numerous "dumb ones" who get reported on radio and written about anonymously in Stupid Crook books.
WalkingJoe
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 1:35 a.m.
Some of them also get listed on the yearly Darwin Awards list too.
smokeblwr
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 12:12 a.m.
That's what he gets for not hailing to the King.
WalkingJoe
Thu, Feb 14, 2013 : 11:59 p.m.
Glad the officer wasn't seriously hurt. To the driver of the car, you went to Burger King to have it your way and you got it. Have fun in the big house.
WalkingJoe
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : midnight
Oh, and by big house I didn't mean The Big House as in Michigan Stadium.
Dontae
Thu, Feb 14, 2013 : 11:49 p.m.
This is just too funny! really this happened at 1:38 p.m. and he was intoxicated. He must own a jetta like rafa!
Ricebrnr
Thu, Feb 14, 2013 : 11:37 p.m.
Bad alcohol! Bad car!
johnkip
Fri, Feb 15, 2013 : 11:27 p.m.
we need car and alcohol control now! they are a dangerous weapon ban them now!