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A tragic incident unfolded in Newark, Delaware, on Tuesday (April 29) when a U-Haul van, reported as overdue, crashed while fleeing from police, resulting in the death of a University of Delaware student and injuries to eight others. The crash occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Main Street, causing the closure of the area and affecting local businesses.
According to Newark police, the U-Haul was originally rented but not returned by its March 18 due date. Officers located the van in a parking lot on East Main Street, occupied by two suspects. As police attempted to arrest them, the suspects drove over a curb, hit a marked police car, and sped away, disregarding officer commands.
The van then traveled west on Main Street, where it struck two pedestrians standing by a parked car. One pedestrian, a University of Delaware student, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other pedestrian sustained serious injuries and was taken to Christiana Hospital. The van continued down the street, hitting multiple parked cars before becoming disabled.
In total, nine people were affected by the crash, including the deceased student. Two individuals sustained serious injuries, while three others suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Three more were evaluated on-site but declined further treatment. The driver of the van was among those seriously injured and was hospitalized. Both suspects were detained by police, though their identities have not been released pending family notification.
The University of Delaware expressed condolences to the victims' families and friends, stating, "This is a terrible tragedy for everyone in our UD community." The university also confirmed that some of the injured were students.