UPDATED: DUI Crash in Townsend Kills Pedestrian; Dover Man Arrested
UPDATED – 01/26/24 – Delaware State Police have identified 40 year-old Danny Rankin of Townsend as the man who died in a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred Wednesday evening in Townsend.
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Delaware State Police have arrested a 36-year-old Dover man for DUI and related charges after a crash killed a pedestrian in Townsend yesterday evening. The crash occurred on US Route 13 (Dupont Parkway) northbound, north of Blackbird Landing Road in Townsend. Future charges are pending as the incident continues to be investigated. The driver, who was not injured, appeared to be under the influence of a drug. A DUI investigation ensued, and impairment was suspected to be a factor. He was taken to Troop 9, where he was charged with Driving Under the Influence of a Drug, Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance, Driving While Suspended, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The passengers of the vehicle, a 23-year-old woman and a 4-year-old child, both from Dover, Delaware, were taken to an area hospital by ambulance for non-life-threatening injuries. The 40-year-old pedestrian, a man from Townsend, Delaware, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld until his family and relatives are notified.
Additional Information from Delaware State Police:
On January 24, 2024, at approximately 5:19 p.m., a 2023 Kia Soul was traveling on US Route 13 (Dupont Parkway) northbound, north of Blackbird Landing Road in Townsend. The preliminary investigation revealed that the Kia was reported to have been traveling in an erratic manner leading up to the impact with a 40-year-old pedestrian. It remains under investigation if the pedestrian was in the right lane or shoulder of US Route 13 northbound at the time of the crash. The pedestrian was wearing bright reflective-colored clothing for the dark and unlit roadway conditions. After the crash, the Kia came to a stop on the right shoulder of US Route 13 and became engulfed in flames.
The pedestrian, a man from Townsend, Delaware, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld until his family and relatives are notified.
The driver of the Kia was not injured and appeared to be under the influence of a drug. A DUI investigation ensued and impairment was suspected to be a factor. The driver was taken to Troop 9, where he was charged with Driving Under the Influence of a Drug, Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance, Driving While Suspended, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The passengers of the Kia, a 23-year-old woman and a 4-year-old child, both from Dover, Delaware, were taken to an area hospital by ambulance for non-life-threatening injuries.
