Rare Airport Breach: Car Rams Delta Check-In at Detroit Metro
Shocking scenes unfolded at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) on Friday, January 23, 2026, around 7:30 PM ET, when a Mercedes S-Class sedan accelerated through the glass entrance doors of the McNamara Terminal, smashing past security bollards and slamming directly into the Delta Air Lines check-in counters.
The impact sent shards of glass flying and scattered debris across the busy terminal area, sparking immediate chaos among travelers and staff. Six people suffered minor injuries—some of them Delta employees—and were treated on-site by the Wayne County Airport Authority Fire Department. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries or fatalities.
Witnesses described the driver, reportedly dressed in a Detroit Lions jersey, stepping out of the vehicle and shouting incoherently (including references to “something downstairs”) before being swiftly restrained by airport police, TSA officers, and other personnel. The individual is now in custody, and authorities are investigating the motive—no evidence suggests terrorism, and possibilities like a medical issue are under consideration.
Airport officials acted fast: the damaged entrance was closed briefly for cleanup, debris removal, and structural safety checks, but DTW operations returned to normal by the next day with no flight cancellations or major disruptions reported by Delta or the airport authority.
Incidents like this underscore the critical role of vehicle mitigation barriers at busy airport terminals, and praise goes to the rapid emergency response that kept harm to a minimum.
