NEWARK, Del. — Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of a bicyclist Monday evening near Newark. The incident occurred at approximately 5:21 p.m. on Pulaski Highway (Route 40), just east of Wellington Drive.
According to authorities, a 40-year-old man from New Castle was riding westbound on the right shoulder of the highway when an unknown vehicle, also traveling westbound on the shoulder, struck him. The impact ejected the bicyclist, and the vehicle fled the scene.
Witnesses at the location described the suspect vehicle as a black SUV, though its exact make and model remain unknown. Troopers, along with the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit, searched the area but were unable to locate the vehicle.
The bicyclist was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending family notification, according to police.
The westbound lanes of Pulaski Highway were closed for about four and a half hours as investigators from the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit examined the scene and cleared the roadway. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact them.