The driver of a 2018 Chevrolet Impala crashed into the back of an unoccupied patrol car on M-59 May 29.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Rochester Post | Published June 2, 2026
ROCHESTER HILLS — A 27-year-old man from Waterford Township is in critical condition after crashing his car into a parked patrol vehicle on westbound M-59 in Rochester Hills May 29.
Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office were investigating an unrelated incident on M-59 between Crooks and Adams roads around 2:30 a.m. when the driver of a 2018 Chevrolet Impala crashed into the back of an unoccupied patrol car.
Deputies said the fully marked patrol vehicle had its emergency lights on and was positioned to block off traffic at the time of the accident. Deputies were several yards away from the patrol vehicle at the time of the crash and were not injured.
The Rochester Hills Fire Department transported the driver to McLaren Oakland Hospital, where he remained in critical condition at press time.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard reminded residents to remain alert on the roadway and obey Michigan’s Move Over Law, which requires motorists to slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and move over into an open lane for stationary authorized vehicles with flashing, rotating or oscillating lights.
The Sheriff’s Office said it is the second time in recent months a patrol vehicle has been crashed into on M-59.
“I cannot overstate the safety and legal need to follow the law and move over one lane away from any stopped emergency vehicle,” Bouchard said in a statement. “These crashes are too common and often deadly. Please, pay attention, slow down, and move over.”
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating the crash and had not determined whether alcohol, drugs or excessive speed were factors in the crash at press time.