2 die in U.S. 13 crash

U.S. 13 at Salt Barn Road (Photo: Google maps)
U.S. 13 at Salt Barn Road (Photo: Google maps)

LAUREL, DELAWARE (12/23/2015) Two people died and an injured driver is facing charges in a two-car crash on U.S. 13 south of Laurel this morning, Delaware State Police said.

The crash happened about 10:12 a.m. just south of Salt Barn Road.

A northbound 2014 Ford Taurus crossed the grass median and slid out of control, entering the left southbound lane where it was struck on the passenger side by a southbound 2006 Scion TC.

A passenger in the Taurus, a 28-year-old man from Ocean City, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said he wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the Scion, a 42-year-old man from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, was taken by ambulance to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland, where he later died from his injuries. Police said he was wearing a seat belt.

Their names are being withheld by police pending notification of next-of-kin.

The driver of the Taurus, Nour-Eddine H. Baassiri, 31, of Salisbury, was taken by ambulance to the Salisbury hospital and admitted for injuries police said were not life-threatening. He was wearing a seat belt.

Police said Baassiri will be charged after he is released from the hospital with two counts of operation of a motor vehicle causing death, inattentive driving, failure to maintain lane and a seatbelt violation.

Southbound U.S. 13 was closed about 3 hours as police investigated and the wreckage was cleared.