Middletown – Yesterday’s multi-vehicle rollover accident sent four children to the hospital, one by Trooper 4 (Delaware State Police Aviation) and one via Christiana Hospital Aviation. Two adults were also injured in the accident.
The two additional children and the second adult were transported by by ground with undetermined injuries. Reports indicate that the child flown by Trooper 4 was partially ejected from the vehicle.
One-by-one Medivac crews, paramedics and EMTs began to alert hospitals of their pending arrival and the conditions of their patients. Urgent radio calls with vitals and injuries were stacking up, prompting one doctor to ask “Do you know how many patients are coming from the scene?” The rescue worker on the other end simply indicated that he was not sure. It appears now that six people were injured in the accident.
Once rescues crews removed the patients police began their investigation. The investigation lasted for several hours due to the complexity of the crash. As the investigation proceeded DNREC’s Emergency Response Teams were call to the scene and worked into the night removing fluids from a tractor trailer that was involved in the accident.
Early reports indicate that one of the tractor trailers involved in the accident crashed into the back of the yellow van and the silver SUV overturning them. It’s also believed that the SUV with the four children was pushed into the back of the truck shown in our video from yesterday.
It’s believed that three tractor tailors and the two overturned vehicles were the only vehicle involved in the accident.
The accident, reported at 1:33 pm, shutdown portions of Route 1 until late in the evening on Thursday.
Delaware State Police have released the following statement regarding the incident.
Middletown – The Delaware State Police continue to investigate a multi-vehicle crash which sent several people to area hospitals yesterday afternoon.
The investigation thus far has determined that the crash occurred at approximately 1:33 p.m., on Thursday, August 17, 2017, as Edwin Perez, 44, of Union, NJ, was operating a 2013 Freightliner tractor and trailer carrying 88 barrels of Aluminum Hydroxy gel, and was traveling in a northbound direction on SR1 approaching the Biddle Toll Plaza. Perez failed to see traffic that had slowed in front of him which caused the front of his truck to strike the rear of a 2013 GMC Yukon, which was being operated by a 49 year old Prince Frederick, MD woman, as well as the rear of a 2014 Chevrolet Express, which was being operated by a 61 year old New Jersey man. Both the GMC and the Chevrolet overturned after the initial impact. Perez’ vehicle then continued in a northbound direction and crossed the median, where it came to rest in the southbound SR 1 EZ Pass lanes.
The female operator of the GMC was treated at the scene by New Castle County Paramedics before being transported by ambulance to the Christiana Hospital.
Two juvenile passengers in the GMC were also treated at the scene by Paramedics. They were then flown by Delaware State Police Aviation (Trooper 4) to the the A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children where they were treated for their serious injuries. Two other juvenile passengers in the van were removed from the scene by ambulance and transported to the A.I. DuPont Hospital where they were treated for their non-life threatening injuries.
Edwin Perez and the 61 year old operator of the Express were transported by ambulance to the Christiana Hospital where they were treated for their non-life threatening injuries.
Officers from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control responded to the scene in order to clean up the spill of Aluminum Hydroxy.
The northbound and southbound EZ Pass lanes of SR 1 were closed for approximately 10 hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.
This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police.
Original Breaking Release
Update 2:30pm – Two patients flown to hospital, one via Trooper 4, the other via Christiana Hospital Aviation. A third was transported by ambulance. All were transported to trauma unit.
Biddles Corner – Fire crews from New Castle County are responding to North Bound Route 1 in the area of the toll plaza for reports of multi vehicle rollover accident with a possible ejection, Trooper 4 headed to scene.
Reports from the scene indicate that at least two vehicles have rolled over with three injuries, and one possible ejection.
The reports indicate that a child may be among the injured.
Delaware State Police have released a preliminary statement:
