Brian Briddle, 27, of Newark, has been sentenced following his guilty plea in the death of University of Delaware freshman Noelia Gomez, who was struck and killed in a crash last year.
Briddle, who was originally charged with murder and multiple related offenses, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment that will keep him incarcerated, with a current release date of July 2039.
The charges stemmed from the incident on August 27, 2024, when a University of Delaware police officer attempted to stop a motorcycle on East Main Street just before midnight. Briddle, operating the motorcycle, fled at a high rate of speed. The officer disengaged his emergency lights and did not pursue, but moments later the motorcycle struck Gomez as she crossed West Main Street in a crosswalk near North College Avenue.
The impact killed Gomez at the scene. Briddle was ejected from the motorcycle, which continued onto the sidewalk, injuring four additional pedestrians and striking a light pole. Several pedestrians suffered minor to non-life-threatening injuries.
Briddle was arrested the following day and charged with Murder Second Degree, Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal, and multiple traffic offenses. He was held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington on more than $362,000 cash bail while awaiting trial.
With his guilty plea now entered and sentencing imposed, Briddle is scheduled to remain incarcerated for nearly 14 more years, with his scheduled release set for July 2039 according to court records.
