TYBOUTS CORNER, DELAWARE (1/6/2015) State police have released details on a crash that snarled rush-hour traffic Monday afternoon on southbound U.S. 13, when a tractor-trailer struck the rear of two cars approaching the Tybouts Corner intersection. Four people were taken to a hospital.
The accident happened about 4:50 p.m. just north of Bear Road.
Police said Dale Porter, 53, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was driving a 2014 Freightliner tractor-trailer in the right lane and failed to see traffic slowing in front of him for a red light.
The rig struck the rear of a 2006 Honda Civic, which was being driven by Vincent Adkins, 50, of Dover. The impact sent Adkin’s vehicle across the left lane and into the median, where it came to rest.
The tractor-trailer continued south and struck the rear of a 2006 BMW X-3, which was being driven by Enid Torres-Rolon, 38, of New Castle. The BMW had been stopped in the right lane. Both vehicles then came to rest on the right shoulder, police said.
Torres-Rolon and her four passengers were taken by ambulance to Christiana Hospital. The passengers were a 43-year-old man, a 14-year-old boy, a 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy. All were treated for injuries not considered life-threatening, police said, and all had been wearing seat belts.
Porter and Adkins were not injured. Porter was cited by troopers for inattentive driving.
The southbound lanes of U.S. 13 were closed and traffic diverted onto westbound U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) for about two and a half hours.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control responded to clean up a large fluid spill.