Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal motor vehicle collision that occurred in the Wilmington area on Friday morning.
On June 24, 2022 at approximately 12:16 a.m., a silver 2008 Lincoln MKZ was traveling northbound on Interstate 495 approaching the area of Exit 1 for US Business Route 13. For an unknown reason the operator of the Lincoln pulled onto the right shoulder and came to a stop. The operator then exited his vehicle and began standing on I-495. During this time, a blue 2017 Honda Accord was traveling northbound on I-495 approaching the Lincoln’s location. The Accord partially crossed over the white shoulder line, and as a result its front right corner struck the rear left corner of the stopped Lincoln MKZ. After the collision, the Lincoln was spun in a clockwise direction until it struck a guardrail on the east side of the roadway where it came to rest. The Honda subsequently flipped onto its roof and slid northbound until it came to rest on the interstate. The driver of the Lincoln was also struck at this time by one of the vehicles as he stood on the highway.
The operator of the Lincoln MKZ, a 53-year-old man from Newark, DE, sustained critical injuries. He was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Identification of the victim is pending notification to the next-of-kin. The passenger of the Lincoln, a 53-year-old man from New Castle, DE, was properly restrained. He was transported to an area hospital for minor injuries. The operator of the Honda Accord, a 23-year-old woman from New Castle, DE, was not properly restrained. She was transported to an area hospital for serious injuries.
No other injuries were reported. I-495 northbound was closed for approximately five hours while the crash was being investigated and cleared.
The Delaware State Police Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate this collision. Troopers are asking anyone who witnessed this collision to please contact Senior Corporal M. Calio by calling 302-365-8483. Information may also be provided by sending a Private Facebook Message to the Delaware State Police, by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, or via the internet at www.delawarecrimestoppers.com.
If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and need assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). You may also email the Victim Services Unit at DSP_VictimServicesMail@delaware.gov.
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Presented by Public Information Officer, Senior Corporal Leonard DeMalto
Released: 062422 2020
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