Driver charged with vehicular homicide after fatal motorcycle crash in Bear
BEAR, DE – A New Castle man is facing felony vehicular homicide charges following a deadly crash Sunday morning on US Route 40 that left one woman dead and another man injured, according to Delaware State Police.
The collision happened around 10:00 a.m. near Fir Avenue, when 46-year-old Omar Mendoza, driving a Chevrolet Malibu, allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign while entering a crossover and then crossed into oncoming traffic. The vehicle reportedly traveled diagonally into the westbound lanes, directly into the path of an oncoming Suzuki motorcycle.
The front ends of both vehicles collided, causing both the motorcycle operator and passenger to be ejected. The passenger, a 44-year-old woman from New Castle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity is being withheld pending family notification.
The motorcycle operator, a 36-year-old man from Bear, was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Mendoza also sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital.
After being medically cleared, Mendoza was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide in the second degree along with several traffic violations, including driving without a valid license and failure to stop at a stop sign. He was arraigned and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $10,250 cash bond.
The road remained closed for approximately three and a half hours as the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated the scene.
The investigation remains active. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact investigators directly or leave an anonymous tip with Delaware Crime Stoppers.
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Key Points
- Omar Mendoza, 46, charged with vehicular homicide after fatal crash on Route 40
- 44-year-old female passenger of motorcycle pronounced dead at scene
- Crash occurred after Mendoza allegedly failed to stop and drove into oncoming traffic