University of Delaware student killed in crash near campus; U-Haul driver charged
A 22-year-old man has been arrested after a crash involving a U-Haul van killed one University of Delaware student and injured seven others on a busy Newark street Tuesday evening, police said.
Gordon Turner, 22, of New Castle, is charged with second-degree murder and assault in connection with the crash. He was wanted in multiple states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to Newark police. He's being held on $305,000 bail.
On Thursday, Newark police identified the UD student who was killed as 24-year-old Marina Vasconcelos of North East, Maryland. She was pursuing a doctorate in chemistry and biochemistry.
The crash on East Main Street near Haines Street also left a 24-year-old graduate student seriously injured. Multiple other people were hurt when a U-Haul van Turner was driving struck pedestrians and multiple parked cars.
University President Dennis Assanis said in a letter to the UD community Tuesday night that students were also among the people injured in the crash.
"This is a terrible tragedy for everyone in our UD community," Assanis said in the letter in part. "We speak for the entire University in offering our condolences to the families, friends and classmates of the victims, and keep the other members of our community in our thoughts who may have witnessed the crash and its aftermath. The safety of our entire community remains our top priority, and we will continue to work with our partners in city and state government to address safety concerns around and on the UD campus."
Officials, including Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Newark Mayor Travis McDermott, Newark Police Chief Mark Farrall and a UD representative, gave updates about the crash in a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
"Because of the defendant's choice not to obey police officers, those young people were injured. One of those young people will never go home," Jennings said.
Jennings called the incident a tragedy and had harsh words for Turner.
"This happened because of the defendant's snap decision in a moment when law enforcement were attempting to keep pedestrians safe. This is what you invite when you flee from the police. And we are not going to tolerate it," Jennings said. "This defendant will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and I will not rest until we have found justice for what happened to these students."
The University of Delaware community was mourning Wednesday, and a memorial was growing at the crash site, with students placing flowers and signs calling for increased safety measures on the street. "No need for speed," read one sign, and another said "raise the crosswalk."
Other students could be seen saying prayers.
"My thoughts are with the family and the people affected," student Maeve Graham said. "This shouldn't have happened and I'm deeply sorry. You trusted the school with your child's life, and they let you down."
Caroline Gaynor and Makenna Schoen didn't know her but said they are shaken by the tragedy.
"It's just absolutely heartbreaking," Gaynor said. "She had dreams. She had aspirations. She had a life like all of us."
Temporary orange and white barriers now block off the sidewalk where Vasconcelos was allegedly killed by the speeding U-Haul truck driver on Thursday, two days after the crash.
"I've never seen them create a sidewalk for us like this," UD senior Deanna Ratzman said.
Police detail timeline of crash that hurt University of Delaware students
Newark police said that around 4:30 p.m., officers found an outstanding U-Haul that had not been returned after being originally due in March. Police said two people were inside the U-Haul, which was in a parking lot in the 200 block of East Main Street.
Investigators said officers tried to arrest the two suspects, but the U-Haul sped away, ran over a curb, hit a police car and ignored commands to stop. Newark police decided not to pursue the U-Haul and stayed in the shopping center parking lot.
Five minutes later, police said the van was speeding westbound on East Main Street when it hit two pedestrians who were standing near a parked car. The U-Haul then hit multiple parked cars before stopping a little further down Main Street, according to police.
Police responded to the crash and began administering life-saving measures to the two pedestrians. Vasconcelos died at the scene, and the other person was seriously injured and brought to the hospital, according to police.
Investigators found the U-Haul van and detained the driver, who was seriously injured, and the passenger. Authorities then brought the driver to the hospital, police said.
Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company said three other people were brought to the emergency room with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials said three additional people were treated for minor injuries at the scene and declined further medical treatment.
Hours after the crash, East Main Street reopened in the area of South Chapel Street later Tuesday night.
Witnesses describe Main Street, Newark, Delaware accident
The crash happened near several downtown businesses, including a Chipotle, a Five Guys, a dumpling restaurant and a bar and grill. The downtown section is a popular area for university students to grab a bite to eat.
Chopper 3 was over the crash scene Tuesday afternoon, where a crowd of people was gathered outside on the street.
Witnesses told CBS News Philadelphia they saw a white U-Haul van speeding down Main Street when it hit two people. The witnesses said they also saw the driver being detained.
In an announcement, the University of Delaware said there is no ongoing danger to the campus community. The university also provided a list of resources for students looking for support.
Victoria Dellanno, a junior at the University of Delaware, was playing intramural softball with her friends when she said they heard screams, sirens and crash-like sounds before getting a safety alert from the college.
Dellanno said she lives right off Main Street and is now worried for her safety.
"Now I don't know if I can walk here anymore," she said. "It makes me feel really worried and scared just to walk, and I shouldn't feel that way at a college campus, but with stuff like this going on, like it just makes me really scared."
The student said the area has been packed recently because people want to enjoy the nice weather and the last few weeks of the school year before graduation.
"I know a few of my friends are actually going home," Dellanno said. "I'm hoping that they cancel class tomorrow because I'm not going to go ... I just need a day to take a second."
Speeding on Main Street worries students: "It could've been me."
The crash on Tuesday marks the second time within a year that a UD student was struck and killed in a crash on Main Street.
On the first day of classes during the Fall 2024 semester, Noelia Gomez, a freshman at the University of Delaware, was struck and killed by a motorcyclist on West Main Street.
Gomez was fatally struck in a crosswalk on campus by 27-year-old resident Brian Briddle, who was driving a motorcycle as he sped away from an attempted traffic stop, police said. Four other people were injured in the crash.
After Gomez was killed, many students called for safety improvements in the area on West Main Street.
Delaware freshman Matthew McKay said that it's "disturbing" that this has happened twice since he started college.
"Something has got to change, it makes me kind of angry," he said. "It makes everybody kind of angry."
Nico Hart is one of many students now also reconsidering the safety of the area for students.
"This is something you see everywhere, but it's a little more unique to Newark, which is not a good thing," Hart said. "Something desperately needs to be fixed."
One student on Main Street at the time of the crash said she's traumatized after seeing the U-Haul van speeding down the street.
"Everyone just looking horrified, towards the Chipotle fence that's behind me," she said. "There was a girl tangled up in the fence. I couldn't really watch it. It was really horrifying."
Students started a Change.org petition to get speed bumps installed on Main Street. The petition now has over 10,000 signatures.
In response to the latest tragedy, Newark Mayor Travis McDermott said the city will hold a meeting soon that will include the university to discuss safety improvements along the Main Street corridor.
"We all live, work, shop here. We walked down Main Street like five times a day, so I mean it could've been anyone," said junior Anabel Deas. "I'd like to see anything, speed bumps, even flashing lights at the cross signs, raised crosswalks any effort at all."
"In times of tragedy, we must come together as a community, work together, find solutions and ensure we do everything possible to prevent future incidents from occurring," McDermott said.
For now, students at the University of Delaware are thinking of those impacted and just how close the tragedy was to many near campus.
"I was walking," Layla Mirkin said. "It's scary. It could've been me. I was literally down the road and was walking up and down Main Street all day."
