Pedestrian Struck By Vehicle While On Sidewalk

Location: Southbound DE Rt. 52 north of Rising Sun Road, Wilmington, DE

 

Date of Occurrence: Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 4:50 p.m.

 

Operators/Vehicles:

 

Operator 1: Teresa Borcherdt, 41, Newark, DE

Vehicle: 2006 Honda CRV

 

Victim: Kenny B. Cooper, 35, Wilmington, DE

 

Resume:   

Wilmington- The Delaware State Police investigated a personal injury accident in which a Wilmington man was struck while walking on a sidewalk north of the city limits yesterday afternoon.

 

The incident occurred as Teresa Borcherdt was operating a 2006 Honda CRV and was traveling southbound on DE Rt. 52 in the right hand lane. Borcherdt’s vehicle then began drifting into the left hand southbound lane almost striking another vehicle. Borcherdt overcorrected her vehicle and swerved back to the right driving off of the west edge of the roadway and up onto the sidewalk where she struck Kenny B. Cooper, who was walking in a southbound direction. Cooper was thrown approximately 60 feet after the impact landing in the grass.

 

Teresa Borcherdt left the scene of the accident and was observed by witnesses traveling southbound on Rt. 52 and then making a right hand turn. Responding troopers searched the area and located Borcherdt in her vehicle in the parking lot of the University of Delaware Wilmington campus just off of Rt. 52. It was at this point that the troopers learned that Borcherdt had been operating her vehicle while her right leg was in a cast. They also learned that she had taken pain medication prior to driving her vehicle.

 

Both Kenny Cooper and Teresa Borcherdt were transported to the Christiana Hospital by EMS. Cooper was admitted with non life threatening injuries. Borcherdt was treated for minor injuries. Troopers have obtained warrants charging her with one count each of Vehicular Assault 1^st Degree, Driving under the Influence, and multiple traffic offenses. Arraignment information is not available at this time.