Families mourn wrong-way crash victims • DTE rate hike backlash • Well-known statue removed from along I-96

THURSDAY NEWS HIT - Two families are mourning after a fiery wrong-way crash that killed four people, including three family members, over the weekend.

The crash on I-75 in Royal Oak was first reported Sunday morning, several hours after it happened. Since then, more details have been learned about the victims, including their names.

The at-fault driver, Adam Quillen, was driving the wrong way on southbound I-75 near 11 Mile when he struck a Dodge Caravan head-on. Quillen was killed, along with three people in the Caravan - Suriel Galvan-Argüello of Troy, his father, 54-year-old Celerino Galvan-Martinez, and his father-in-law, 71-year-old Antonio Martinez-Saldivar – both from Mexico. 

One person survived - Martinez-Saldivar's daughter Maria Argüello.

"The doctors say a month, but every day is a little bit different because sometimes we find something new," said Lucia Galvan, Suriel's sister-in-law. "I've seen stuff like this on the news before and never in a million years would I have ever thought it would touch this close to my family."

Suriel and Maria have two children, a 14-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter, who are still trying to process the tragedy.

The 8-year-old "says that her dad is in the sky," Lucia said. "And she did tell us that they're all in her heart – so she's OK."

An investigation is ongoing. It currently isn't known if alcohol was involved.

"We are very shocked and incredibly distraught about the whole situation," the at-fault driver's sister told FOX 2 over the phone. "I’m so sorry to (the victims' family) on behalf of my brother."

DTE's rate hike request leads to backlash

DTE Energy again wants to raise rates, and customers are not happy. 

Months after the company was allowed to increase rates by $368 million, DTE is requesting a 10% increase approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Customers gathered this week to protest the proposed rate hike.

"I felt very frustrated as well as very disappointed. I am a customer of DTE for many years," said Tomena Rawls, who lives in Redford Township. "I pay my bill. Zero balance. And still, I'm getting sub-par, non-efficient working power when it comes to my home."

DTE released a statement in response to the public complaints, saying a rate hike was needed to help improve the grid's reliability. DTE said their goal is to reduce power outages by 30% and cut outage time in half by 2029.

Frequent, long power outages are one of the reasons customers are so upset by these price increases.

In addition to protests, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel intervened in the case earlier this week. Testimony was filed by Nessel on July 27.

In it, she argued that the energy company should receive no more than a $139.5 million annual increase - or less than 3%. 

'Man in the City' statue removed from Lyon Township

Driving on I-96 past Lyon Township, you may have noticed the outline of a man in a fedora looking over the freeway. Emphasis on "have," as the art piece is now gone.

John Sauve is the artist behind "Man in the City." There's about 100 of them around Metro Detroit, but the Lyon Township one was the largest.

On July 3, someone cut the sculpture down, unknown to the artist. He originally thought it was vandals, as he stated during an interview with FOX 2 on Sunday morning. Before July, it had been there for more than a decade.

However, it wasn't a vandal. Sauve received a letter informing him that it was the city.

"Actually, our maintenance department did," said John Dolan, township supervisor.

Dolan says it was in response to vandalism.

"Over the years, since 2014, we've been getting a lot of vandals going up there and putting breasts on it, and putting male things on there," he said, adding that it also frightened some children.

According to the letter from the city attorney, if Sauve doesn’t come and get the sculpture, it will be cut up.

Elevated lead levels in Redford water

During routine drinking water testing in Redford Township, elevated lead levels were discovered in some samples, leading to a Lead Action Level Exceedance Public Advisory.

Samples were taken from 60 homes in the township. According to the advisory, the lead 90th percentile for the township’s tested water supply is 16 parts per billion (ppb), which exceeds the Action Level of 15 ppb after seven of the tested homes had levels above 15 ppb. It's not a new situation, the township said; it is a continuation of the 2023 Action Level Exceedance.

This isn’t based on a health standard, but it does mean leaders must investigate water quality samples, and educate their residents on lead in drinking water.

Arts, Beats & Eats lineup

Headliners at the 2024 Arts, Beats & Eats fest include Tesla, Dustin Lynch, Chevelle, and Keith Sweat. 

Other national acts will also be there, such as the Gin Blossoms and Cheap Trick.

In addition to national acts, more than 600 local artists will perform.

From Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, dozens of artists and food vendors will be set up to sell art and dish out delicious bites, while genre-spanning artists will perform all weekend. There will also be a stage with activities and entertainment for kids.

See the full lineup:

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Sick of the heat and humidity? It sticks around for a bit longer.

What else we're watching

1. Multiple police chases ended with a Taylor woman in custody when she ran out of gas. Ryann Parkes is now facing charges of assaulting a police officer and fleeing and eluding.
2. A former friend of Republican vice president nominee JD Vance is sharing details about the Ohio senator's past. Detroit Attorney Sophia Nelson shared emails of exchanges with Vance that show a stark difference from his current beliefs. 
3. Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Detroit next Wednesday as she campaigns for president. 
4. Two people are in custody after a 6-year-old child died from injuries. The child was found at a Madison Heights mobile home and taken to a hospital, where they died. 
5. A woman's three dogs were sprayed with bear mace after intruders broke into her Detroit home earlier this month, and the dogs are still being impacted after the attack.

9/11 defendants reach plea deal, reportedly avoid death penalty

The Department of Defense announced that plea deals have been reached for three men and their roles in the 9/11 hijackings.

The Convening Authority for Military Commissions said it has entered pretrial agreements with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.

However, the details of the plea agreement are not publicly available for the time being.

The New York Times, citing unidentified Pentagon officials, said the terms included the men’s longstanding condition that they be spared risk of the death penalty.

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