Approximate crash location based on Bloomfield Township police reports.
By TruckCrash News Desk · Published July 22, 2026, 6:00 p.m. · Updated if authorities revise details
| Date & time | Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at approximately 1:00 p.m. |
| Location | Shell gas station at Woodward Avenue and Square Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County |
| Vehicles | One vehicle — a red Jeep |
| Injuries | None reported as of early Wednesday afternoon; it was not yet clear whether the driver was hurt |
| Road impact | Eastbound Square Lake Road temporarily closed at Woodward Avenue during the investigation |
| Investigating agency | Bloomfield Township Police Department |
What Happened
A red Jeep crashed into the side of a Shell gas station at Woodward Avenue and Square Lake Road in the Bloomfield Hills area around 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to ClickOnDetroit/WDIV, which reported from the scene shortly after the crash. Aerial footage showed the vehicle against the side of the station building with emergency personnel and a tow truck on scene.
No injuries had been reported as of early Wednesday afternoon. “It’s not yet clear whether the driver was injured or if any passengers were in the vehicle,” WDIV reported, adding that all occupants had been removed from the Jeep by the time crews were working the scene.
Police temporarily closed eastbound Square Lake Road at Woodward Avenue while officers investigated and the vehicle was towed. Authorities had not said what caused the Jeep to leave the roadway and strike the building. Reporting: ClickOnDetroit/WDIV, with information from the Bloomfield Township Police Department.
The Investigation: What Happens Next
Bloomfield Township police are investigating. In a single-vehicle crash into a building, investigators typically look at three broad possibilities: driver error (such as pedal misapplication or distraction), a medical emergency behind the wheel, or a mechanical failure. Expect officers to interview the driver and any passengers, review the station’s surveillance cameras — gas stations are among the best-covered locations for video — and document the vehicle’s path from the roadway to the point of impact.
A building inspector will typically assess structural damage before the station returns to full operation. Police had released no further details as of Wednesday afternoon; this report will be updated if the investigation changes the account above.
The Legal Picture
Who could be responsible in a crash like this? When a vehicle strikes a building, the driver is often — but not always — responsible. Michigan law recognizes defenses like a sudden, unforeseeable medical emergency, and liability can shift if a vehicle defect or a third driver’s actions forced the crash. Property owners and their insurers typically pursue the driver’s insurance for building damage.
What evidence matters? Surveillance video from the station is usually decisive in crashes like this, along with the vehicle’s event data recorder, which records speed, braking, and throttle in the seconds before impact. Witness accounts from customers and staff round out the picture.
What Michigan rules apply? Under Michigan’s no-fault system, anyone injured in a crash like this generally turns first to no-fault benefits for medical care and lost wages, while property damage to a building is handled outside no-fault through the at-fault driver’s liability coverage. Where injuries are serious, claims above the no-fault threshold are possible — our guide to how crash claims are valued explains the framework.
This section discusses how Michigan law treats crashes like this one in general. It makes no assumptions about what caused this specific crash, which remains under investigation.
This Stretch of Road
The crash site sits at one of Oakland County’s landmark junctions: Woodward Avenue (M-1) at Square Lake Road, near the border of Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township. Woodward is the region’s signature north–south corridor, eight lanes wide through much of the Bloomfield area, and the Square Lake interchange area funnels traffic between Woodward, Telegraph Road, and I-75. The corner hosts busy commercial driveways — including the Shell station — where turning traffic mixes with high-speed through traffic on Woodward, a combination that produces regular crashes at the corridor’s major crossroads.
If You Saw This Crash
If you were at the Shell station or driving through the Woodward and Square Lake intersection around 1 p.m. Wednesday and saw the Jeep before or during the crash — or have dash-camera footage — the Bloomfield Township Police Department would likely want to hear from you. First-hand accounts help investigators distinguish between driver error, a medical event, and a mechanical problem.
About TruckCrash News
TruckCrash News is the daily news desk of truckcrash.com. We track, report, and analyze truck and traffic crashes across Michigan — every day, in every county — to raise awareness of road safety and help the public understand how these crashes happen, how they are investigated, and how Michigan law treats them.
Informational content only — not legal advice and not a solicitation. Details in this report come from the public sources cited above and will be corrected if authorities revise their account.