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Fatal four-car crash snarls Jan. 18 rush-hour traffic near Meding’s

January 20, 2024

A four-car crash that left one man dead Jan. 18 snarled morning rush-hour traffic on Route 1 south of Meding’s seafood.

The crash happened at 6:35 a.m. when a 2015 Chrysler 200 was traveling southbound on Bay Road in the left lane near Meding’s seafood in front of a 2016 Acura TL. For reasons still under investigation, police said, the front of Acura struck the rear of the Chrysler. Following the collision, police said, the Chrysler driver pulled into the median and the Acura pulled over to the southbound shoulder. The driver of the Acura, Larry Cox, 78, of Smyrna, got out of his car and began crossing the southbound lanes when he walked into the path of a 2013 Toyota Sienna, police said. The Toyota struck Cox, who came to rest in the median, police said, and the Toyota began swerving across both southbound lanes, striking a 2016 Ford Focus that was traveling southbound on Bay Road.

Cox was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chrysler, a 28-year-old Dover man, and two women passengers, a 25-year-old from Camden and a 46-year-old from Newark, were transported to an area hospital where they were treated and released.

The driver of the Toyota, a Laurel woman, 66, was transported to an area hospital where she was treated and released, and her 15-year-old female passenger was not injured. The driver of the Ford, a 43-year-old man from Woodside, was also not injured.

The roadway was closed for four hours while the scene was investigated and cleared. All southbound traffic was diverted onto other roads.

The Delaware State Police Troop 3 Collision Reconstruction Unit asks anyone who witnessed this crash to contact Sgt. A. Mitchell at 302-698-8518, send a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police, or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.

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