The Delaware State Police are investigating and seeking witnesses for an assault stemming from a road rage incident that occurred Sunday morning on Route 13 in Middletown.
Officials said on March 31, 2024, at approximately 9:31 a.m., troopers responded to an area hospital and made contact with an injured 19-year-old victim from a road rage incident that occurred on Route 13 northbound at Port Penn Road.
The preliminary investigation revealed the victim was traveling in an orange Kia Forte on Route 13 in the area of Boyds Corner Road in Middletown, when she was involved in a road rage incident with a silver Jeep Cherokee.
After both vehicles came to a stop on Route 13’s left turn lane for Route 1 northbound at Port Penn Road, an unknown male suspect exited the Jeep and approached the victim’s vehicle. The victim’s friend, who was stopped in a blue Nissan Rogue also in the left turn lane a few cars ahead, exited her vehicle as she saw the suspect approaching. The victim exited her vehicle, and a physical altercation ensued between the victim, the victim’s friend, and the suspect according to police. The altercation ended after the victim pushed the suspect while he choked her, which led to the suspect falling into the guardrail. The victim then fled in her vehicle, at which point she noticed she was bleeding, but does not recall how or when she sustained the cut to her upper arm.
The suspect is described as an older white male, approximately 5’9″, with a slender build and a long gray beard that reached the top of his chest. The suspect is possibly armed with a black, flip-open style pocketknife. The suspect was wearing a red/white trucker style hat, a red/black long sleeve flannel shirt over a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and black cowboy boots. The suspect’s vehicle (stock image pictured) is a silver Jeep Cherokee with a hard white registration plate.
Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect and the suspect vehicle as they continue to investigate this incident. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective J. Gliem by calling (302) 365-8428.