Background: The White Castle located on Woodward Ave in Ferndale, Michigan (Google Maps). Inset: Terrell Simms (Oakland County Sheriff”s Office).
In a tragic case of road rage turned deadly, a Michigan man has been handed a decades-long prison sentence for the murder of a DoorDash driver. The victim, Mamadou Diallo, was only 26 years old when he was fatally shot while delivering an order from White Castle in what should have been a routine night of work.
This week, 39-year-old Terrell Simms received a hefty prison sentence ranging from 37 1/2 to 80 years. The conviction stems from his actions on a fateful night in March 2025, where he was found guilty of second-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon, and possessing a firearm despite his previous felony record. The Detroit community and beyond were reminded of the tragic outcomes that can arise from unchecked anger on the road.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of March 9, 2025. Diallo had just picked up a DoorDash order from a White Castle on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, a suburb of Detroit. As he navigated the roads, merging onto southbound Woodward Avenue, he encountered Simms, who was driving a GMC truck at high speed, dangerously close to causing a collision.
According to the Ferndale Police Department, the truck weaved recklessly between lanes and eventually slowed down near Eight Mile Road, seemingly waiting for Diallo to catch up. It was at this moment that Simms decided to open fire, unleashing six bullets into Diallo’s vehicle.
The situation escalated quickly, with police receiving reports of gunfire at approximately 1:45 a.m. Not long after, another call came in reporting a man lying on the ground beside a Ford Escape on the Woodward Avenue bridge over 8 Mile. Responding officers found Diallo, who had been struck by a bullet in his torso, marking a senseless end to a young man’s life.
At about 1:45 a.m., police received a call about shots being fired at the intersection. Minutes later, “a second caller reported an individual lying outside a Ford Escape on the southbound Woodward Avenue bridge over 8 Mile.” Officers responded to find Diallo with a gunshot wound to his torso.
He was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Simms was identified as a suspect, and he was arrested about a month later. It is not clear whether Simms was the one driving the GMC truck, though police did mention that three suspects were initially arrested, with two of them being released.
“This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of an innocent man who was simply working to make ends meet,” said Ferndale Police Chief Dennis Emmi when announcing Simms’ arrest. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Diallo’s family.”
According to WDIV, the fatal shooting occurred one day before Diallo’s 27th birthday. It was also reportedly Ferndale’s first murder since 2016.
Ferndale is located just north of Detroit.
