The smell of burnt rubber seemed to still hang in the air near Lapeer and Greenshield roads hours after the incident—or maybe that was just the humidity. On Saturday, April 11, around 1:11 p.m., a quiet afternoon turned into a tragedy in Orion Township. An 86-year-old Rochester Hills man, identified by Misryoum editorial desk as Alfred Henry Young, lost his life after a head-on collision.
Misryoum reporting confirms that Young was driving a 2011 Lincoln MKX southbound when the crash occurred. Investigators from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office noted that a 2015 Ford Fiesta, operated by a 63-year-old Hazel Park resident, suddenly veered from the northbound lane. It crossed the median—a maneuver that remains unexplained—and struck Young’s vehicle directly.
It’s a brutal outcome for everyone involved, honestly.
Young’s wife, who is also 86, was rushed to the hospital alongside him. Misryoum analysis indicates that she remains in critical condition. The couple from the Ford Fiesta, the 63-year-old driver and his passenger, were also transported to the hospital. They are currently listed in critical condition as well.
Misryoum editorial team stated that the Crash Reconstruction Unit is leading the investigation into why the vehicle left the road. At this stage, officials have clarified that speed, alcohol, and drug use do not appear to be contributing factors in the wreck. It’s hard to say what happened, really. Just a sudden loss of control, and then everything changed for those two families.
The investigation is ongoing, though there isn’t much more to go on right now regarding the specific cause of the lane departure. The Sheriff’s Office is still piecing together the timeline, or maybe they’re just waiting on further forensic results—it’s never as fast as people want it to be.