Bridgeville – The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal crash involving a DART bus and an SUV that occurred early this morning east of Bridgeville.
The incident occurred around 5:45 a.m. Friday October 28, 2016 as Tina M. Caputo, 52 of Milton was operating a 2015 Jeep Latitude and was stopped on the westbound shoulder of Seashore Highway (SR404) west of Cannon Road. Estaban Vicente-Morales, 46 of Georgetown, was operating a 2009 Gillig 6-wheel D.A.R.T. commuter bus eastbound on Seashore Highway in the same general vicinity. The Jeep then made a U-turn from the westbound shoulder directly in front of the bus, and as a result, the front of the bus struck the right side of the Jeep in the eastbound travel lane. After the impact, the Jeep rotated violently in a clockwise direction and traveled off the south side of road where it overturned onto its left side. The DART bus continued in an easterly direction, remaining in the eastbound travel lane, where it came to a controlled stop.
Tina Caputo, who was properly restrained, was pronounced dead as the scene.
Estaban Vicente-Morales was properly restrained and was transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries.
There were six adult passengers on the bus who were traveling from the Bridgeville area to Georgetown. The bus is not equipped with seatbelts for the passengers and they all were transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where they were treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries.
Speed and alcohol were not a factor on the behalf of either driver. SR404 in the area of the crash was closed for approximately four hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.
Image Credits: DelDOT