Woman killed, another hurt by driver leaving Sumpter Twp. party

On Sunday, May 28, at approximately 8:24 pm, Sumpter Townhip police and fire were dispatched to the 26000 block of Sumpter Road on the report of a vehicle striking two pedestrians.
According to a report on the Sumpter Township Police Facebook Page, upon arrival, one pedestrian was found to have sustained fatal injuries. The other was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The driver fled on foot before police arrived.
The investigation found that all involved were leaving a large gathering at a residence in the area. The two females crossed the roadway and were walking north along the east shoulder when the vehicle, driven by a 43-year-old male from Detroit, exited the driveway northbound in a reckless manner.
The vehicle lost control and ran off the roadway, striking one of the females and running over the other before striking a tree.
A 49-year-old Rockford, Illinois, woman was pinned beneath the vehicle, sustaining fatal injuries, and a 39-year-old Plainfield, New Jersey woman sustained severe injuries.
About three hours after the crash, a drone unit from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office equipped with infrared technology located the suspect driver hiding in the woods north of the scene and directed the searching officers to his location. He was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver will be identified after he’s arraigned following case review and charge determination by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke thanked the following departments for their assistance on the scene and in other areas of the investigation:
Huron Township Police, Van Buren Township Police, Monroe County Sheriff Department Patrol and Drone Units, Michigan State Police Accident Reconstruction and K-9 units, Michigan DNR, Monroe City Police, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
Reporter Kimberly Craig of Channel 7 News spoke to the organizer of the party who said he operates the events as a business under the name “El Rancho Campesino” and obtains permits from the township to hold his events that include horse racing. He said people bring their own food and alcohol and that there were over 400 people at Sunday’s party, which he described as family oriented.
Some neighbors told Channel 7 they want the township to take action to make sure he isn’t able to hold another large event again.
Sumpter Township Police Chief Eric Luke told Channel 7 the only issue they’ve had with the parties is vehicles parked on the shoulder of the road.
Chief Luke said this appears to have been the biggest event so far at the location and they will be working to ensure no other events of this magnitude take place again.