Delaware State Police are investigating a crash on Lancaster Pike in Wilmington, Delaware, that left a woman dead and a man critically injured.

The crash happened around 10 p.m. on Monday. Police said a Lexus RX was traveling in the right westbound lane of Lancaster Pike, heading towards Hedgerow Place in Wilmington, when a severe thunderstorm passed through the area and caused a tree to fall directly into the path of the SUV.

The driver, a 79-year-old man from Newark, Delaware, attempted to swerve left to avoid the tree but was unsuccessful, and the tree hit the front of the SUV. 

A 79-year-old woman from Newark, Delaware, was in the passenger seat at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition. The names of the victims are being withheld until families and relatives are notified.

The crash remains under investigation by Delaware State Police.

By: Sydney-Leigh Brockington