The unidentified man who crashed into Detroit Metro Airport’s McNamara terminal had mental health issues and is in custody, a Wayne County Airport Authority official said on Thursday, Feb. 5.
The Wayne County Airport Authority held a press conference to give an update on the Jan. 23 crash that injured six people who did not require hospitalization.
Tadarial Sturdivant, WCAA senior vice president of Emergency and Support Services & Operations, said there was “insufficient evidence that would link this to any sign of terrorism,” according to a report in The Detroit News.
He would not say which agency is holding the suspect. Authorities are awaiting the results of toxicology tests before sending the case to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office.
The Mercedes Benz 300 smashed through a set of glass check-in doors for Delta Airlines at the airport in Romulus. The driver then exited his vehicle and began speaking gibberish, Sturdivant stated. He was brought to the ground and taken into custody as he walked toward a restricted area.
One person was arrested but not identified and charges have not been announced.
The airport authority has installed 9,000-pound concrete barriers at the departure and arrival levels of the McNamara and Evans terminals, Sturdivant said.
Though airport operations returned to normal within several days after the crash, a sheet of wood sealing the destroyed doors remained in place Thursday.
“I’ve been with the airport for 27 years and what occurred on Jan. 23 at the McNamara Terminal is unprecedented. It has definitely changed our security posture,” said WCAA CEO Chad Newton, in a statement.
Surveillance footage shows the car traveling in the far-left lane outside the terminal, then suddenly veering right and driving through a set of glass doors before crashing into a counter.
Sturdivant said the airport has implemented temporary safety enhancements while more permanent measures are planned. No details were given.
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