WILMINGTON, Del. — A three-vehicle crash on Christmas Eve left one man dead and another critically injured on Thompson Bridge Road, according to Delaware State Police.
The collision occurred at approximately 7:28 p.m. on December 24, 2024. A blue 2009 Hyundai Elantra traveling northbound crossed into the southbound lane, colliding head-on with a black 2015 Mazda 6. After the initial impact, the Mazda veered off toward a tree line, while the Hyundai remained disabled in the roadway. A white 2018 Kia Sportage traveling southbound then struck the stationary Hyundai, police said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that both occupants of the Hyundai had exited the vehicle after the first crash. One of them, a 22-year-old man from Wilmington, was struck by the Kia. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending family notification.
The second occupant of the Hyundai, whose identity remains unknown, was hospitalized with critical injuries.
The Mazda’s driver, a 45-year-old man from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was uninjured. The Kia’s driver, a 31-year-old woman from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
The crash forced the closure of Thompson Bridge Road for more than five hours as authorities conducted their investigation and cleared the scene.