A man accused of crashing a car into a Ferndale store after leading police on a chase last week has been charged, officials said.
Emad Rehman, 26, was arraigned Sunday in 44th District Court in Royal Oak, according to court records.
The Garden City resident is charged with third-degree fleeing and eluding police as well as driving with a suspended license, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and records said.
A magistrate set Rehman’s bond at $5,000 and scheduled his next court hearing for May 8, according to court records. He remained housed at the Oakland County Jail on Tuesday.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for fleeing and eluding police and up to 93 days in jail for driving with a suspended license, a misdemeanor.
“It’s fortunate this incident ended without any injuries,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. “The defendant’s alleged actions recklessly endangered countless motorists and damaged a business.”
Court records did not list an attorney for Rehman on Tuesday.
Authorities allege Rehman was operating a white Tesla Model 3 last Friday when he ran a red traffic light in Royal Oak.
Police pursued his speeding vehicle as it weaved in and out of traffic, officials said.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a Verizon mobile phone store at the corner of Lewiston and Woodward in Ferndale, investigators said.
Police arrested Rehman and learned he had a suspended license, did not have auto insurance, and was wanted on outstanding warrants.
The incident is among the most recent in which a vehicle crashed into a Michigan building.
Last month, a vehicle crashed into a Ypsilanti Township grocery store. The driver, an 81-year-old Ypsilanti woman, was not injured. A pedestrian who jumped clear of her vehicle suffered minor injuries.
In February, a rideshare driver who allegedly crashed his vehicle into a Detroit warehouse, killing two people, and then ran away from the scene was charged with murder.
The same month, an unknown driver crashed a vehicle into a Westland building, leaving a large hole in the structure’s side.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Man accused of fleeing cops, crashing car into Ferndale store charged
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
