Terrell Simms, 39, from Oak Park, Michigan, received a sentence of 37½ to 80 years in prison on January 27, 2026, for the second-degree murder of DoorDash driver Mamadou Diallo, 26, in a Ferndale road rage incident. Convicted in October 2025 alongside weapons charges, Simms fired six shots into Diallo’s Ford Escape after a near-collision with his GMC truck near Woodward Avenue and Eight Mile Road.
Incident Details
On March 9, 2025—hours before Diallo’s 27th birthday—he picked up a White Castle order around 1:45 a.m., merged southbound, and nearly hit Simms’ speeding truck, which then slowed to let him catch up before the shooting. Diallo, originally from Senegal and in the U.S. since 2023, was found wounded outside his vehicle and pronounced dead at a hospital; it was Ferndale’s first murder since 2016.
Investigation and Charges
Police arrested Simms about a month later on April 8, aided by the FBI task force; two other initial suspects were released as evidence pointed solely to him. He was denied bond, convicted on all counts including felony firearm (adding consecutive years), with the jury deliberating under an hour.
Official Reaction
Ferndale Police Chief Dennis Emmi called it a “senseless act” against an innocent worker supporting his family, offering condolences. Prosecutors secured the stiff penalty through collaborative investigation.
