A 28-year-old man from Frankford died in a car crash in Clarksville while fleeing police Friday night, Delaware State Police reported. His name has not been released.
Police said they saw the man making multiple traffic violations as he drove west on Vines Creek Road near Powell Farm Road in a green 2000 Acura TL at 8:43 p.m. The officer tried to pull the man over, but the man drove through someone’s front yard, made a U-turn and drove away in the opposite direction on Vines Creek Road, according to police.
The trooper drove after the man, state police said, following him as he sped onto Roxana Road. When they reached the intersection with Pyle Center Road, the 28-year-old continued driving despite the red light, according to police. At the same time, a 2020 Volvo tractor trailer heading north on Pyle Center Road entered the intersection, where police said it had a green light.
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State police said the Acura hit the back wheels of the trailer and got stuck underneath it. The car was dragged north of the intersection before the tractor trailer came to a stop. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The 37-year-old driver of the Volvo from Waynesboro was not injured.
Police said the 28-year-old was not wearing a seatbelt, and did not yet know whether alcohol was involved. The intersection was closed for about five hours.
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Earlier this year, two men were chased by police after robbing multiple stores near the border of Delaware and Pennsylvania. The chase led to the men crashing into four cars, one of which belonged to a New Castle County police officer.
Police are still investigating Friday night’s crash. Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. J. Burns at 302-703-3269 or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
