UPDATED: Eight-Vehicle Crash Shuts Down Rehoboth Avenue
UPDATE (July 14): The Rehoboth Beach Police Department has identified the driver of the blue Dodge pick-up truck as 45-year-old Martin Tuohy of Middletown, Delaware. There is no mug shot photo, police said, as no charges have been filed; however, the case is still actively under investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY (July 7): It was a miracle that nobody was critically injured after an eight-vehicle accident shut down Rehoboth Avenue for more than an hour early Saturday evening. Hundreds of visitors, who packed the sidewalks, heard the impacts around 6:13 p.m. and many called for help.
This Dodge Ram drove up over the curb at Second Street and came to a stop in front of Conch Island. The sidewalk was packed with pedestrians but amazingly, they escaped injury. Image courtesy WGMD/Alan Henney
Police say a man driving the blue Dodge Ram pick-up truck attempted to back out of a parking space along the north shoulder in the second block of Rehoboth Avenue. In the process of doing so, his truck collided with another vehicle that was westbound on Rehoboth Avenue.
The man attempted to flee the scene in the pick-up truck but lost control and collided with these four additional vehicles parked along the center median, police said.
Image courtesy WGMD/Alan Henney
The pick-up truck, heavily damaged from the collisions, continued along Rehoboth Avenue westbound striking the curb on the north shoulder of the roadway, a bike rack and two more vehicles that were in motion at the intersection of Rehoboth Avenue and Second Street. The pick-up truck then struck a pole and came to rest on the sidewalk along the north side of Rehoboth Avenue west of Second Street at Conch Island.
Image courtesy WGMD/Alan Henney
Five patients — including a 16-year-old — were taken to Beebe Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pick-up truck, a 45-year-old man from Middletown, Delaware, was one of the patients. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor, police said.
Image courtesy WGMD/Alan Henney
Amazingly, no pedestrians were struck by any of the vehicles. At this time, the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.
Image courtesy WGMD/Alan Henney
The debris field was about half-a-block long. Image courtesy WGMD/Alan Henney
