Troopers Investigate Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash- Bear

Bear, DE - The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a two vehicle crash which occurred this morning in Bear and has claimed the life of one person.

The preliminary investigation has determined that the crash occurred this morning, Sunday, November 29, 2015, at approximately 10:15 a.m., as a male, 20 of Brooklyn, NY was operating a 2003 Ford Explorer and was traveling southbound on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway (SR 1) south of Red Lion Road. A 2006 GMC Yukon, operated by a female, 31 of Smyrna, was traveling on SR 1 southbound in the right lane ahead of the Ford Explorer. As the Ford Explorer passed to the left of the GMC Yukon it lost control and the right side of the vehicle struck the left side of the Yukon. Both vehicles continued to travel in a southwest direction and struck the guardrail. The Ford Explorer traveled through the guardrail and down an embankment where it came to rest on its driver’s side. The GMC Yukon struck the guardrail and rolled over it and continued down an embankment where it came to rest on its roof.

The operator of the Ford Explorer was properly restrained and the three additional occupants in the vehicle were not properly restrained. The victim, a rear seat passenger, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and two other occupants were removed from the scene by Emergency Medical Services and transported to Christiana Hospital Trauma Center with non-life threatening injuries. Speed and aggressive driving on the part of the operator in the Ford Explorer appear to be factors in this collision. All names are being withheld at this time pending notification of next of kin.

The operator of the GMC Yukon was properly restrained and was transported by Emergency Medical Services to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center where she was treated and released. The operator’s nine month old daughter, properly restrained in a child restraint seat, was removed from the scene by Emergency Medical Services and transported to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center for observation and was later released.

Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the collision.

The southbound lanes of SR 1 were restricted to one lane for approximately three hours while the collision was investigated and cleared.

This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and charges are pending at this time.