Flooded I-94, Three Lives Lost and a Westland Man Charged: Now Michigan Is Preparing to Spend Up to $200 Million on Drainage
A flooded freeway. A stopped semi. An allegedly intoxicated Westland driver approaching at high speed.
Three young people never made it home.
Now, two months after the deadly crash on I-94, there's another part of this story worth talking about.
Michigan is preparing to spend as much as $200 million on a massive project designed to deal with flooding and drainage along another section of I-94.
What happened that night
The crash happened shortly before midnight on July 3 on eastbound I-94 near Wyoming Avenue in Dearborn.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, traffic was stopped because the freeway was flooded.
Prosecutors allege 26-year-old Westland resident Hilton Dorian Yopp III was intoxicated, driving recklessly and traveling at a high rate of speed when his vehicle struck the back of a semi-truck.
His three passengers were killed:
Myles Bland, 27, of Dearborn
Jailyn Riley, 24, of Detroit
Alexandria Boynton, 24, of Detroit
Yopp and the driver of the semi survived.
Yopp was charged with three counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and three counts of reckless driving causing death.
Each charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 15 years.
The charges are allegations. Yopp is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
More information about the charges can be found directly from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office:
But the flooding is part of this story too
There is no question about who prosecutors are accusing of criminal responsibility.
But there's another fact that shouldn't get lost.
Traffic was stopped because I-94 was flooded.
The flooding created the stopped traffic Yopp's vehicle encountered that night.
Anyone who has driven Metro Detroit freeways during a major storm knows how quickly conditions can change. Traffic moving at freeway speeds can suddenly come to a complete stop.
And Michigan is preparing to spend some serious money addressing drainage problems on I-94.
Up to $200 million for a giant tunnel underneath I-94
The Michigan Department of Transportation is preparing a major drainage project along I-94 in Detroit.
The estimated construction cost?
$180 million to $200 million.
And this isn't just another storm drain.
MDOT plans to construct an underground drainage tunnel approximately 5,700 feet long, more than a mile, with a diameter of about 14.5 feet.
The project will also include massive underground shafts, connections and a new pump station.
During heavy rain, stormwater from portions of I-94 and its service drives will be directed into the tunnel.
The tunnel will essentially act as a giant underground holding tank.
MDOT says the system will be capable of storing as much as 8 million gallons of stormwater, allowing municipal systems time to drain before that water is released.
The state says the project is expected to reduce peak stormwater flowing from that portion of I-94 into the combined sewer system by 82 percent.
MDOT currently anticipates awarding the construction contract in September 2026.
You can see MDOT's plans, project specifications and estimated cost here:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/business/contractors/innovativecontracting/i-94-drainage-tunnel
Would this tunnel have prevented the July crash?
No one can say that.
And there's an important distinction.
The proposed drainage tunnel is not being built at the location of the July crash in Dearborn.
The tunnel is part of the I-94 modernization project in Detroit, running between the Burns Avenue and Barrett Avenue area.
So it would be misleading to suggest this particular $200 million project would have prevented the crash involving Yopp.
But the two stories do have something important in common.
Freeway flooding is a serious enough problem that Michigan is preparing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars improving drainage along I-94.
MDOT itself says proper freeway drainage is important for safety and mobility.
You can read more about the overall I-94 modernization project here:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/i-94-modernization-project-detroit
Two problems collided that night
The criminal case against Yopp will determine whether he is legally responsible for the deaths of Bland, Riley and Boynton.
The flooding doesn't excuse the conduct prosecutors allege.
But it helps explain the dangerous situation that existed on I-94 that night.
The freeway flooded.
Traffic stopped.
A semi couldn't move.
And prosecutors allege an intoxicated Westland driver traveling recklessly at high speed came up behind it.
Three passengers died.
Now, while Yopp's criminal case moves through the court system, Michigan is preparing for an enormous investment aimed at another piece of the problem: keeping stormwater from overwhelming portions of I-94.
One issue involves the choices a driver allegedly made.
The other involves what happens when one of Metro Detroit's busiest freeways can't handle the water falling from the sky.
On July 3, those two problems collided.
Three families are now living with the consequences.
Sources and More Information
Wayne County Prosecutor's Office:
https://www.waynecountymi.gov/Prosecutor-Press-Releases/2026/Westland-Man-Charged-in-Dearborn-Fatal-Car-Crash
Michigan Department of Transportation, I-94 Drainage Tunnel:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/business/contractors/innovativecontracting/i-94-drainage-tunnel
Michigan Department of Transportation, I-94 Modernization Project:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/i-94-modernization-project-detroit
Original Michigan Legal Center report:
https://michiganlegalcenter.com/news/three-killed-i94-flooding-semi-crash-dearborn/
