A man in Romulus, Michigan, is sitting behind bars after allegedly crashing into an airport terminal. Reportedly, while talking with police officers, he said he wanted, of all things, to meet Tom Cruise.
As reported by The Detroit News, the incident occurred at around 9:41 a.m. on Friday, May 29, at Detroit Metro Airport. A peaceful morning was suddenly interrupted at the Evans Terminal when a vehicle, a Cadillac station wagon, crashed into it.
Panic ensued immediately. While no one was directly hurt as a result of the crash, a woman was injured while trying to avoid being struck. She refused treatment on her leg and eventually caught her flight.
The man behind the wheel, meanwhile, has only been identified as a 67-year-old, and he was arrested immediately, although charges are yet to be announced. While his name remains a mystery, authorities have detailed what exactly went down.
Airport Authority Provides Details
Initially, the Wayne County Airport Authority believed that the driver had crashed after allegedly entering through the ADA-accessible area. Around 10 hours after the incident, the Airport Authority issued a statement.
Citing the statement, WDIV reported that the vehicle had allegedly driven over the curb after driving the wrong way on the street. Then, it traveled “between the barriers protecting the doorways.” It appears that he had intended to turn around when the crash occurred.
In addition to the woman mentioned above, another passenger became startled and breached a security checkpoint at Evans Terminal. While he was apprehended as a result, he was later released without a citation.
After an explosives sweep came back negative, the scene was cleared. Hours after the crash, operations returned to normal at Evans Terminal.
Meeting Tom Cruise
Further details on the man’s motivation behind the alleged erratic driving were soon reported on. The Airport Authority detailed that the 67-year-old, who was described as “very disoriented,” told the police that he wanted to meet Tom Cruise.
It is unclear whether Tom Cruise was at the Detroit Metro Airport at the time. It is highly unlikely, as the actor is based in Florida, so perhaps the driver was trying to catch a plane there.
Additionally, the man allegedly stated that he also wanted to save his father. If he was referring to Cruise’s father, Thomas Mapother III, he sadly passed away at age 49. This happened in 1984, 42 years ago.
Past Incident at Same Airport
Shockingly, this is the second crash of the kind at the Detroit Metro Airport this year. The previous one occurred back on January 23, 2026, and it occurred at the McNamara Terminal.
As reported by CBS Detroit, 37-year-old Brian Sutton allegedly crashed through the terminal entrance and struck a ticketing area. Six people were treated at the scene, and Sutton was arrested.
The Airport Authority statement cited above referred to this incident. A “temporary solution” was designed to protect against a 90-degree turn into the terminal doorways. Given the characteristics of the Evans Terminal crash, the temporary solution was not designed to prevent it.
“The Airport Authority is currently in the design phase of a permanent barricade system and will be using these additional lessons learned during that process,” the statement read. “For the time being, we are once again adding additional barricades to fortify the sidewalks and the entryways into the terminals.”