UPDATED STORY: Driver charged in crash that killed Verizon worker
LITTLE HEAVEN, DELAWARE (6/7/2016) A 41-year-old Verizon employee was killed this afternoon when he was struck by an SUV along southbound Route 1 (Bay Road) in Little Heaven, the Delaware State Police said.
The crash happened about 1:55 p.m. south of Clapham Road and north of a Valero/Shore Stop gas station.
Heath B. Janssen, of Dover, had finished a check of phone lines in a manhole and was standing behind his work vehicle, a 2006 Ford F-36 box truck, placing equipment inside. The truck was parked on the shoulder surrounded by cones, police said.
A southbound 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, driven by Zachary M. Krytzer, 27, of Milton, drifted onto the shoulder, struck a mailbox and road reflector before striking Janssen, pinning him to the rear of his work truck, police said.
The truck was pushed forward about 36 feet on the shoulder. The Montero continued another 23 feet before coming to a stop.
Janssen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Krytzer was taken by ambulance to Bayhealth Kent General Hospital in Dover for treatment of injuries police said were not life-threatening. He had been wearing a seat belt.
Police said charges are pending.
Prior to the crash, the Montero was reported by witnesses to have been weaving between both southbound lanes of Route 1, police said.
Both southbound lanes were closed more than two hours and DelDOT reported at 4:55 p.m. that the right lane remained closed, with that lane being reopened after 5 p.m. Many secondary roads in the area were clogged as southbound commuters chose alternate routes.
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