MIDDLETOWN, DELAWARE (5/30/2015) One man was in critical condition with a head injury, two others suffered minor injuries and the driver of a pickup truck was charged with DUI after it crashed into a pole and tree north of Middletown, Delaware State Police said this morning.
The crash happened about 10:30 p.m. Friday on Churchtown Road near Meadow Drive.
Police said the driver, Leoncio L. Romero, 40, of Warwick, Maryland, ran from the scene but was captured nearby hiding in a stable.
Romero was eastbound in a 1999 Chevrolet pickup when he lost control on a curve, hit a utility pole on the left side then crossed over to the right side into a yard at 842 Churchtown Road and struck a tree, coming to a stop.
A 27-year-old man who was a passenger was ejected through the rear window of the truck . He was admitted to Christiana Hospital in critical condition, police said. The man suffered a head injury and scrapes, said Cpl. Abigail Haas of New Castle County paramedics.
Two other passengers, a 21-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, were treated for minor injuries and released, police said.
Romero was charged with vehicular assault, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a valid license.
He was being held at Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington in lieu of $10,000 cash bond.