A former Delaware political candidate died and two other people suffered non life-threatening injuries on Wednesday in a two-car crash near Hartly, Delaware State Police said.
Troopers were called to the intersection of Brittney Lane and Halltown Road (Route 8) just after 5:15 p.m. for reports of the wreck. There, they found 67-year-old Catherine Samardza, the driver of a Toyota Corolla, and her passenger badly injured, and the driver of a Dodge Ram pickup truck slightly hurt.
Through their investigation, police determined Samardza was initially stopped at a stop sign on Brittney Lane, facing Route 8. The Ram was driving east on Route 8.
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For “unknown reasons,” police said, Samardza left the stop sign and drove into the path of the Ram. As a result, the front of the truck hit the driver’s side of the Corolla.
Samardza was wearing a seatbelt but was critically injured. She was taken to a local hospital, where she later died. Her passenger, a 74-year-old woman from Dover, was also wearing a seatbelt and taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The 36-year-old driver of the pickup truck wasn’t wearing a seatbelt but suffered only minor injuries. He was treated on scene.
Police closed the road for about three hours while they investigated.
Samardza ran for state Senate District 15 in 2012, Delaware Online/The News Journal archives show. She was unsuccessful in her bid.
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