An Earlville, MD woman who was under the influence of drugs and caused a fatal crash in Middletown last year has pleaded guilty in the traffic death. Michelle Park, 35, entered her plea in Superior Court to Manslaughter, 2 counts of Assault First Degree, Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (3rd Offense), and Failure to Use Proper Child Restraint.
In March 2018, Park was driving along Bethel Church Road with a 2-year-old child in the car, when she failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the center line, and crashed head-on into another car.
Three people in the other vehicle were taken to the hospital, with one of them, 73-year-old Gladys Arcuri of Middletown, dying as a result of the crash a few weeks later.
Deputy Attorneys General William Leonard and Barzilai Axelrod prosecuted the case with the assistance of social worker Kristen Fluharty-Emory and paralegal Jaevan Owens. Corporal Joseph Aube of the Delaware State Police was the chief investigating officer. Park will be sentenced by a Superior Court judge in August.
Update
Middletown – Gladys Arcuri, 73, of Middletown, who was a front seat passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a motor vehicle crash that occurred on Friday, March 16, 2017, on Bethel Church Road, in Middletown, has died as a result of her injuries.
The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing its investigation into the crash, no charges have been filed at this time.
Original Story
Middletown – The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing to investigate a serious motor vehicle crash that sent five people to the hospital last night, according to Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin.
Austin said the incident occurred at approximately 8:38 p.m., Friday, March 16, 2018, on Bethel Church Road, east of Fairview Avenue, Middletown. A 2018 Ford Escape, being driven by a 53-year-old Florida woman, was traveling eastbound on Bethel Church Road, just east of the intersection with Fairview Avenue. A 1997 Pontiac Grand Am, driven by a 34-year-old Middletown woman was traveling westbound on Bethel Church Road, when she failed to negotiate a slight rightward curve in the roadway, crossing the double yellow center line and into the eastbound lane of travel, at which time she collided head-on with the Ford, according to Austin. After the initial impact, both vehicles came to rest in the eastbound lane of Bethel Church Road, facing in a northerly direction.
The driver of the Ford, along with two female passengers, ages 73 and 78, both of Middletown, were admitted to the Christiana Hospital with serious injuries.
The driver of the Pontiac was admitted to the Christiana Hospital with serious injuries. A 1-year-old boy, rear seat passenger in the Pontiac was admitted to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children with serious injuries.
Neither improper driving nor impairment is being considered as a factor on behalf of the driver of the Ford.
Breaking Report
Early reports indicate that all five patients, believed to be 3 older adults in 1 car, and a mother and child in the other, required advanced life support medics. Trooper 4 was utilized to transport the child, approximately 2-years-old, to the AI duPont Trauma Center.
Christiana Hospital’s Lifenet helicopter responded to the scene but it’s unclear if they transported a patient.
It’s believed that all patients were transported to trauma.
We are working to gather more information about this accident.
Developing