Sterling Heights is crossed by some of Macomb County’s busiest roads, including Van Dyke Avenue/M-53, Hall Road/M-59, Mound Road, Schoenherr Road, Metropolitan Parkway, Dequindre Road, and Ryan Road. Where these major corridors intersect, drivers may encounter multiple lanes, turning traffic, freeway access, commercial entrances, and significant traffic volume.
Crash data shows that several Sterling Heights intersections deserve particular attention.
According to Sterling Heights’ Master Plan, the city recorded 19,446 crashes over the five-year period analyzed, including 29 fatal crashes. The city’s transportation analysis identifies several intersections as especially concerning based on crash history.
More recent 2024 crash-report data also places two Sterling Heights intersections among Macomb County’s highest-crash locations.
Below, we look at what the data actually shows and why evidence from the specific intersection can become important after a collision.
If you were injured at one of these locations or elsewhere in the city, our Sterling Heights car accident lawyers can investigate how the crash occurred and what evidence may be available.
18½ Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue
The 18½ Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue/M-53 roundabout stands out in both local and statewide crash data.
Sterling Heights’ Master Plan reports that the 18½ Mile/South M-53-Van Dyke ramp area averaged approximately 108 crashes per year over the five-year period analyzed, leading Macomb County and ranking second in the region for crashes.
More recent data shows the location remains significant.
In 2024, 162 crashes and 12 injuries were reported at the 18½ Mile Road/Van Dyke Avenue roundabout. That was an increase from 135 crashes in 2023.
The location was ranked the second-highest crash intersection in Michigan for 2024 based on total reported crashes.
A roundabout collision can present different questions from a traditional signalized-intersection crash. Investigators may need to determine:
- Which lane each vehicle occupied
- Where each driver entered the roundabout
- Whether a driver failed to yield
- Whether either vehicle changed lanes
- Which exit each driver intended to use
- Where the vehicles first made contact
Because this location has such a distinctive configuration and crash history, we cover it separately in our guide to the 18½ Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue roundabout.
Van Dyke Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway
Sterling Heights’ transportation analysis also identifies Van Dyke Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway as a concerning location.
According to the city’s Master Plan, this intersection averaged approximately 49 crashes per year during the five-year period analyzed and an average of approximately 1.2 fatalities per year.
Those figures are particularly important because total crash counts do not tell the entire story. An intersection with fewer total collisions can still deserve attention when crashes result in serious or fatal injuries.
After a collision at a major signalized intersection such as Van Dyke and Metropolitan Parkway, relevant questions can include:
- Which vehicle had the right of way?
- What did the traffic signal display?
- Was a vehicle turning left?
- Did either driver enter the intersection after the signal changed?
- Were speed or distraction factors?
- Did another driver or witness observe the collision?
When the drivers disagree about the traffic signal, independent evidence can become especially valuable.
Mound Road and Metropolitan Parkway
The city’s Master Plan identifies Mound Road and Metropolitan Parkway as another of Sterling Heights’ most concerning intersections.
The city reports an average of approximately 45.4 crashes per year over the five-year period analyzed. According to the same analysis, the intersection ranked seventh in Macomb County and 26th in the region for crashes during that period.
Mound Road is a major north-south corridor, while Metropolitan Parkway carries substantial east-west traffic.
A collision here may involve:
- Rear-end impacts
- Left-turn crashes
- Side-impact collisions
- Lane-change disputes
- Multiple vehicles
- Commercial vehicles
- Drivers entering or leaving nearby properties
Photographs showing vehicle position, lane markings, traffic controls, and the surrounding roadway can help preserve details that may later become important.
Hall Road and Schoenherr Road
More recent 2024 crash data also highlights the intersection of Hall Road and Schoenherr Road.
There were 76 reported crashes and 11 injuries at this Sterling Heights intersection in 2024, placing it among Macomb County’s higher-crash intersections for that year.
Hall Road/M-59 is a major commercial corridor with multiple lanes, turning traffic, and numerous nearby businesses.
That environment can also create potential sources of evidence.
Depending on the precise location of a collision, nearby businesses, parking areas, dashcams, or witnesses may have information that helps establish how the crash occurred.
Why Do Major Intersections Produce Complicated Accident Claims?
Large intersections create several potential conflict points.
A single intersection may simultaneously have:
- Through traffic
- Left-turning vehicles
- Right turns
- Multiple lanes
- Vehicles changing lanes
- Pedestrian crossings
- Commercial entrances
- Traffic entering from nearby roads
After a crash, two drivers may provide completely different accounts.
One driver may say the light was green while another says it was red. A driver making a left turn may claim the approaching vehicle was speeding. In a roundabout, each driver may claim the other entered their lane.
The more complicated the traffic pattern, the more important objective evidence can become.
What Evidence Can Help After an Intersection Crash?
Evidence may include:
- Police documentation
- Photographs of the vehicles
- Photographs of the intersection
- Witness statements
- Dashcam footage
- Surveillance video
- Traffic-signal information
- Vehicle damage
- Electronic vehicle information
- Medical records
- Accident reconstruction evidence in appropriate cases
If you have dashcam footage, preserve the original recording.
Our guide to dashcam footage after a Michigan car accident explains how video evidence may help and why preserving the original file can matter.
Could Nearby Businesses Have Video?
Possibly.
Many major Sterling Heights intersections are surrounded by stores, restaurants, gas stations, offices, parking lots, and other commercial properties.
Potential video sources may include:
- Exterior business cameras
- Parking-lot surveillance
- Gas-station cameras
- Doorbell or residential cameras
- Dashcams from other vehicles
There is no guarantee that a particular camera recorded the crash or that footage will remain available.
For that reason, identifying possible video sources soon after a serious collision may be useful.
What Should You Do After an Intersection Accident?
Your health and immediate safety come first.
When circumstances allow:
- Move away from immediate danger.
- Report the crash when required.
- Seek appropriate medical attention.
- Photograph the vehicles and intersection.
- Photograph traffic signals, signs, lane markings, or unusual roadway conditions when it is safe to do so.
- Obtain witness contact information.
- Preserve dashcam recordings.
- Note nearby properties that may have cameras.
- Keep medical, insurance, repair, and employment records associated with the crash.
Never enter active traffic or put yourself in danger simply to obtain evidence.
How Is Fault Determined at an Intersection?
The fact that a collision happened at a high-crash intersection does not determine who was legally responsible.
Fault must be evaluated based on the circumstances of the individual collision.
Relevant evidence can include traffic controls, right-of-way rules, vehicle movements, speed, lane position, driver conduct, witness accounts, video, and physical evidence.
Our guide to common car accidents in Sterling Heights explains how different crash types can raise different liability questions.
What If the Insurance Company Disputes Fault?
Insurance companies may investigate statements from the drivers, police documentation, photographs, vehicle damage, witnesses, video, and other available evidence.
This is one reason preserving independent evidence can matter when drivers disagree.
Michigan’s comparative-fault rules can also affect certain damages if more than one person contributed to a collision.
Michigan No-Fault Benefits After an Intersection Crash
Michigan’s No-Fault system may provide Personal Injury Protection benefits after qualifying motor-vehicle accidents.
Depending on the applicable policy, statutory rules, and coverage selected, PIP benefits may include qualifying medical expenses, work-loss benefits, replacement services, and other allowable expenses.
A separate claim against an at-fault driver may also be available when Michigan’s legal requirements are satisfied.
Learn more about Michigan’s insurance system from our Michigan No-Fault insurance lawyer resource.
Other Personal Injury Claims in Sterling Heights
Motor-vehicle collisions are one part of the injury cases Khamo Law handles in Sterling Heights.
Serious injuries can also result from truck and motorcycle crashes, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, unsafe property conditions, dog attacks, and other incidents caused by negligence.
Our Sterling Heights personal injury lawyers provide a broader overview of the claims we handle, how liability is investigated, and what compensation may be available after a serious injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest-crash intersection in Sterling Heights?
Based on the 2024 crash data reviewed for this article, the 18½ Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue roundabout had 162 reported crashes and 12 injuries, making it the highest-crash Sterling Heights intersection identified in the statewide 2024 ranking.
Is 18½ Mile and Van Dyke a roundabout?
Yes. The intersection includes a roundabout associated with Van Dyke Avenue/M-53 and 18½ Mile Road.
Is Hall Road and Schoenherr a high-crash intersection?
2024 data reported 76 crashes and 11 injuries at Hall Road and Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights.
Does crashing at a dangerous intersection automatically make the other driver responsible?
No. The crash history of an intersection does not establish fault in an individual case. Liability depends on what occurred in that specific collision.
What if both drivers say they had the green light?
Witness statements, surveillance footage, dashcam recordings, vehicle damage, traffic-signal information, and other evidence may help determine what happened.
Should I photograph the intersection?
If it can be done safely, photographs of the roadway, lane markings, signs, traffic controls, vehicle positions, and surrounding conditions may be useful. Do not enter active traffic to take photographs.
Talk With a Sterling Heights Car Accident Lawyer
Intersection crashes can become complicated when drivers disagree about right of way, traffic signals, lane position, or how the collision occurred.
Khamo Law Accident & Injury Lawyers maintains a Sterling Heights office at 36250 Dequindre Road, Suite 110, Sterling Heights, MI 48310, available by appointment. Our attorneys bring more than 40 years of combined legal experience to personal injury matters and have recovered more than $40 million for clients.
If you were injured in a Sterling Heights collision, contact Khamo Law for a free consultation.
Call 248-466-0606 or learn more about our Sterling Heights car accident lawyers.