Middletown, DE – An arrest warrant has been issued for Francisco Mendez-Peralta, a 38-year-old resident of Chestertown, Maryland, following a fatal crash last night. The incident involved an E-Bike and a Chevrolet Equinox.
On Tuesday at approximately 7:50 p.m., an E-Bike was traveling in the northbound lane of Middletown Warwick Road. A Chevrolet Equinox, also heading north, struck the E-Bike, ejecting the rider onto the roadway.
The Chevrolet fled the scene, and the E-Bike rider, a 62-year-old man from Middletown, was later flown to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending notification of family members.
The road was closed for around three and a half hours as officials conducted an investigation. The Middletown Police Department utilized surveillance video to locate the Chevrolet.
The vehicle was found in a public alleyway near a residence in Chestertown. Mendez-Peralta was apprehended in Maryland and will face multiple felony charges upon his return to Delaware.
He is charged with leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death, failing to remain at the scene for police arrival, and failure to report a collision resulting in death.
The investigation remains ongoing. Witnesses or those with video footage are encouraged to contact Corporal K. Oakes at (302) 365-8483 or the Delaware State Police.
Support services are available for victims or witnesses of the crash through the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit at 1-800-VICTIM-1.