Wrong-way driver who crashed on Lodge freeway was impaired, had loaded handgun

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - An impaired driver that 911 callers said was traveling the wrong way on the freeway was arrested after police found a loaded firearm in his car.

The suspect driver was lodged in the Oakland County jail on Tuesday morning after they crashed on the Lodge Freeway.

The incident happened around 12:15 a.m. on Jan. 16 when the Detroit Regional Communication Center got a call about a single-vehicle crash, Michigan State Police said. That was before calls came into the center reporting a driver who crashed had been traveling the wrong way on the freeway.

A search for the suspect eventually located the disabled vehicle in the center lane of the northbound Lodge without a tire in Southfield.

The driver, a 38-year-old man from Farmington, was observed acting impaired, prompting troopers to administer a sobriety test. The driver failed the test and was placed under arrest.

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During a search for the man, they found a loaded 9 mm magazine. Police later searched the vehicle and found a Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Pistol in the center console. Adding to the potential charges the man could face was the discovery he had a revoked concealed pistol license.

He was taken to the jail for prosecutor review.