Medium Large Transport
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (mon) 5
Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airport; Procedure
Aircraft X called ready for taxi and I told him 'RWY 4R taxi via K-12; Yankee cross RWY 9L ATIS information  is current' A standard taxi route we give every day on a north flow. He said something like 'K-12 cross RWY 9L and we will pick up Kilo.' I am positive he read back the correct runway to cross but I did not correct him on the incorrect ATIS code. He said that he was going to pick up the ATIS so I thought that would suffice; I then turned around to get the proposed departure strips from CD and put them in their assigned bays as is one of my duties as a Ground Controller.  The ASDE-X alerted and I turned around to see that the aircraft had started to cross RWY 4R at Y-12 and an Air Carrier was on departure roll.  I told the pilot to speed up for traffic on the runway and continue across the runway as I thought this was the only option to get him off the runway in time. The Local Controller attempted to tell the departing carrier to abort takeoff but they were already lifting their nose-wheel off the ground. The departing carrier went over top of Aircraft X which was still at least partially on the runway I think. One factor I believe was the fact that we are required to tell them to cross RWY 9L even know that runway was and is almost always closed. I think this created confusion in the cockpit as to the fact that they were cleared across a runway.
Pushed back off gate and received full reroute clearance. Was given taxi instructions and taxi commenced while my head was down programming the FMS.Taxi instructions were not followed and a runway incursion took place with no event.  No aircraft deviation was required. Flight continued as planned.
DTW Ground Controller describes scenario where an aircraft crosses an active runway with a departure rolling down the runway. Pilot describes situation differently; where no aircraft deviation was required. Another Air Carrier over flew the taxiing aircraft.