Hamtramck street takeover ends in crash after stolen car flees police

Dozens of cars blocked an intersection for illegal burnouts before fleeing from police, leading to a collision with a civilian vehicle.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 9:48pm

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A street takeover in Hamtramck, Michigan early Monday morning ended in a crash after dozens of cars blocked an intersection to perform illegal burnouts and then fled from responding police. During the pursuit, a stolen Dodge Challenger crashed into a civilian's Jeep, though the Jeep driver escaped without serious injury. Police obtained license plates of multiple vehicles involved, some of which were stolen from other cities, but the Challenger driver remains at large.

Why it matters

Street takeovers and reckless driving are an ongoing issue in Hamtramck, with an uptick usually seen during warmer months. The police department is aggressively enforcing a county ordinance to target both participants and spectators blocking the roadway, as these dangerous activities put innocent bystanders at serious risk of harm.

The details

Just before 1:30 a.m., approximately 30 cars took over the intersection of Lumpkin and Poland, with security camera footage showing several cars strategically blocking the intersection minutes before the burnouts began. When Hamtramck police arrived with lights and sirens, the cars began to flee, with the stolen Dodge Challenger crashing into a civilian's Jeep as it drove too wide into oncoming traffic during the pursuit. The Jeep driver walked away without serious injuries, but the Challenger driver fled on foot and remains at large.

  • Just before 1:30 a.m. on Monday, March 31, 2026, the street takeover occurred.

The players

Hamtramck Police Department

The local police department that responded to the street takeover incident and is aggressively enforcing a county ordinance to target both participants and spectators.

Wadah Fadal

A Hamtramck resident who expressed concern over the dangerous activity in the neighborhood, noting the risk to children in the area.

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What they’re saying

“We never want to see anybody harmed or their property harmed. That is why we are pursuing this, because the big thing about this is that the drivers are doing these donuts and knowingly putting themselves at risk. But what they don't think about is the civilians that they're putting at risk.”

— Detective Sgt. Anthony Gonzales, Hamtramck Police Department

“When you have kids in that area and the streets, that's a bad thing. We hope that police or the city, they're taking some action about it. This time nobody got hurt, but may not be lucky next time.”

— Wadah Fadal, Hamtramck Resident

What’s next

Police say they have strong leads on the suspects and are asking anyone with information about the incident at Poland and Lumpkin to contact them.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing issue of reckless driving and street takeovers in Hamtramck, which put innocent bystanders at serious risk. The police department is taking a more aggressive approach to enforce local ordinances and target both participants and spectators, in an effort to curb this dangerous behavior and protect the community.