Suspect held in hit-and-run

Eight injured when van plows into church festival; 8
injured in Southfield hit-and-run accident

The Detroit News
May 22, 2006

By Edward L. Cardenas

SOUTHFIELD — A day of family fun at St. John’s Armenian Church turned
to horror when a van plowed through a church carnival and struck an
inflatable ride, sending at least six children and two adults to the
hospital.

Police on Sunday night arrested a man who they believe intentionally
drove a maroon, 1994 Plymouth Voyager van through the crowd about 2
p.m. Sunday as members of the church and community played on five
colorful inflatable structures and enjoyed fresh popcorn.

At Southfield’s request, Troy Police arrested the suspect at a home in
that city and turned him over to Southfield officers. Southfield
Police seized the man’s vehicle.

As the accident occurred, onlookers screamed for the driver to stop
the van, with at least one man jumping onto the vehicle and breaking
out the driver’s side window before being thrown off.

“He is definitely a hero,” Southfield Police Sgt. Mike Mellec said of
the man who tried to stop the driver. “We have information to believe
it was intentional.”

Police believe the suspect drove the van along a road behind the Alex
Manoogian School before turning down a small road between the school
and a tent erected for the festival, which was held between the school
and church.

Instead of turning to the left, and into the parking lot, he turned
right and drove between the inflatable structures where children were
waiting to play.

Those injured were taken to Providence Hospital in Southfield with
injures including bruises, broken ankles and a broken pelvis. Police
did not identify the injured.

Stunned parents stood on the edge of the by-then-deflated playscapes
holding their children. Water bottles, children’s shoes and other
items were strewn along the ground.

“We tried our best to stop him,” said Hosep Torossian, principal of
the church’s high school. “He wouldn’t listen to me.”

Others wished they could have done more to stop or apprehend the
driver.

Shirley Tufenkjian was riding in a car that was pulling into the
parking lot of the church when the minivan, with adults in pursuit,
passed her.

“I thought he had stolen something,” said Tufenkjian, who was looking
forward to an afternoon with her nine grandchildren at the
festival. “I felt guilty … I was the last person to see him. If I
would have known what he did, I would have crashed into him.”

The incident caught everyone by surprise.

Rina Aznavour was pushing her 6-month-old son, Andrew, in a stroller
near the inflatable playscapes when the van roared past her, almost
knocking over the stroller.

“He didn’t care who was under the car or on the side,” said Aznavour
of West Bloomfield. Her sister narrowly avoided injury by the
vehicle. She pulled her son’s shoulder to get him out of its path.

“It seemed like he was on a rampage,” Laura Calukyan said.

Friends of the injured children and adults visited the hospital in an
attempt to learn what happened.

Members of the media were ushered away by hospital security.

“The (van) window hit her in the arm,” said Kristina Mkoyan, who
visited a 10-year-old friend, whom she declined to name. She said her
friend is expected to be OK.

The church is prominent in Metro Detroit’s Armenian community.

There are more than 40,000 people in Michigan of Armenian descent and
1 million nationwide, according to a study issued last year by the
Armenian Research Center/University of Michigan-Dearborn.

You can reach Edward L. Cardenas at (586) 468-0529 or
ecardenas@detnews.com.

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