Delaware Police Arrest Man for Multiple Felony Offenses After Hit and Run in Stolen Vehicle
Delaware State Police arrested a 32-year-old suspect from Lincoln, Delaware for multiple felony offenses related to a hit-and-run in a stolen vehicle in Lincoln. According to police, on November 23, 2024, at approximately 9:29 a.m., troopers were dispatched to Dupont Boulevard in the area of Johnson Road for a hit-and-run involving a stolen vehicle. During the investigation, police learned that the suspect had stolen an unoccupied white Ford Econoline delivery truck while the driver was delivering a package on Johnson Road. The suspect then drove westbound on Johnson Road toward Dupont Boulevard, where he crashed the truck into the side of a white BMW that was stopped at a red light. After the crash, the suspect then fled in the stolen truck northbound on Dupont Boulevard and continued to drive recklessly while spilling packages from the vehicle onto the roadway. Shortly thereafter, the suspect abandoned the stolen truck and fled on foot. Witnesses provided a description of the suspect and responding officers from the Milford Police Department quickly located him and took him into custody without incident. Using “additional investigative means” the troopers were able to confirm that the suspect was indeed the person responsible for stealing the truck and causing the accident. No one was injured by the driver.
The suspect was taken to Troop 7 where he was charged with the following crimes:
- Reckless Endanger 1st Degree (Felony) – 4 counts
- Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Felony)
- Driving While Suspended or Revoked
- Leaving the Scene of Property Collision Accident
- Failure to Report Public Highway Collision with Damage Greater than $2000
- Failure to Provide Information at Collision Scene
- Additional Traffic Offenses
Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree
The suspect is facing multiple felony offenses for stealing the vehicle and endangering the public while operating the vehicle in a grossly negligent manner. 11 DE Code § 604 (2023) defines the crime of Reckless Endangering in the first degree. According to the statute, a person is guilty of Reckless Endangering in the First Degree when the person recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death to another person. The suspect is facing four counts of Reckless Endangering in the 4th Degree.
Reckless Endangering is considered a Class E felony in Delaware. A Class E felony is punishable by up to 5 years in state prison.
Prosecutors will have to establish that the defendant placed other people’s lives in direct danger on four discrete occasions while operating the stolen vehicle. We know of at least one instance in which the suspect rammed a BMW with the stolen vehicle. While the occupants were uninjured, the state doesn’t need to prove injury to prove that the suspect placed other people’s lives in danger.
Talk to a Wilmington, Delaware Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Are you facing charges related to Reckless Endangering? If so, call the Wilmington criminal defense lawyer, Michael W. Modica today. We can help you raise a vigorous defense to the charges. Call our Wilmington criminal lawyers today to learn more.
Source:
dsp.delaware.gov/2024/11/25/troopers-arrest-man-for-multiple-felony-offenses-after-hit-and-run-in-stolen-vehicle/
