Fire police officer struck while directing traffic in serious Georgetown crash
Georgetown, DE – A fire police officer helping direct traffic at the scene of a prior collision was critically injured Sunday night when he was hit by a car on Lewes-Georgetown Highway.
Just after 8:30 p.m., the 78-year-old officer from the Georgetown Fire Company was standing near his marked vehicle with emergency blue lights flashing, directing traffic at the intersection of Lewes-Georgetown Highway and Shingle Point Road. He wore a high-visibility vest, hat, and used a red strobe wand to guide drivers.
As he worked, a 20-year-old man driving a Honda Accord eastbound on the highway failed to stop or slow down and hit the officer in the roadway. The impact left the fire police officer with critical injuries, and he was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
The driver remained at the scene and was uninjured. No charges have been announced as the investigation continues.
Delaware State Police closed the highway for several hours while their Collision Reconstruction Unit worked to piece together what happened. Investigators are asking any witnesses or individuals with relevant information to come forward.
The officer had been assisting with traffic flow following an earlier, unrelated accident in the area.
The name of the injured officer has not been released. Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing.
Key Points
- A 78-year-old fire police officer was critically injured after being struck while directing traffic in Georgetown
- The officer was wearing high-visibility gear and standing in the road when a Honda Accord hit him
- The 20-year-old driver was not injured and remained on the scene as police investigate