Delaware State Police have obtained an arrest warrant for 38-year-old Francisco Mendez-Peralta of Chestertown, Maryland, following a fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred Thursday night in Middletown.
Authorities said the crash occurred on October 30, 2025, at approximately 7:50 p.m., when an E-Bike was traveling northbound in the lane or right shoulder of Middletown Warwick Road, about one mile north of Strawberry Lane. A northbound Chevrolet Equinox approached from behind and, for reasons still under investigation, struck the E-Bike, ejecting its rider onto the roadway. The Chevrolet fled the scene after the impact.
The E-Bike operator, 62-year-old David Miller Sr., of Middletown, was airlifted by the Delaware State Police Aviation Section to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. . The roadway remained closed for approximately three and a half hours while Delaware State Police Troop 2’s Collision Reconstruction Unit conducted the investigation and cleared the scene.
Investigators said the Middletown Police Department obtained surveillance video showing the Chevrolet involved in the crash. With assistance from the Maryland State Police, troopers later located the vehicle in a public alleyway near a residence in Chestertown, Maryland, and identified the driver as Francisco Mendez-Peralta.
Court records show that Mendez-Peralta was taken into custody in Maryland and charged in the District Court for Kent County with being a fugitive from justice related to Delaware charges. He is described as 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Maryland State Police Troopers with the Centreville Barrack, were listed as the arresting officers. Mendez-Peralta appeared remotely before Judge Nunn on October 31, 2025, and was ordered held without bond pending extradition proceedings. The docket also includes filings for a court-appointed appearance, a motion for a language interpreter, and a pre-trial supervision assessment. Court records also show that Mendez-Peralta waive extradition, however, it’s unclear if he has been transported back to Delaware.
Upon extradition to Delaware, Mendez-Peralta will face charges of Leaving the Scene of a Collision Resulting in Death (felony), Cars Involved in Death Remain at Scene for the Arrival of Police (felony), and Failure to Report a Collision Resulting in Death (felony).
