NEWARK, Del. — A high-speed crash on West Main Street late Tuesday night left one pedestrian dead and four others injured after a motorcycle fleeing a traffic stop struck a young woman in a crosswalk and continued onto the sidewalk, police said.
The incident began around 11:53 p.m. when a University of Delaware police officer attempted to stop the motorcycle on East Main Street for a traffic violation.
The motorcyclist ignored the officer’s emergency lights and sped westbound on East Main Street, prompting the officer to disengage and end the pursuit, according to authorities.
Within minutes, the motorcycle struck an 18-year-old woman from New Jersey as she was crossing West Main Street, just west of North College Avenue. The force of the collision threw the motorcyclist from the vehicle, which continued onto the sidewalk, injuring four additional pedestrians and knocking over a light pole.
Bystanders tried to revive the woman who was hit in the crosswalk, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Her identity has not been released pending notification of her family.
Three of the injured pedestrians on the sidewalk declined transportation to the hospital, while a fourth was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The motorcyclist also suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening and was transported for medical care, police said.
The Newark Police Department, with assistance from the University of Delaware Police Department and other local emergency services, is continuing to investigate the crash.
No charges have been filed against the motorcyclist as of Wednesday afternoon.