REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- Friends are mourning the loss of a Worcester County, Md., man killed in a crash outside of Rehoboth Beach early Sunday morning.
Delaware State Police said Russell Henman, 44, of Snow Hill, Md., died after he was struck and killed by a Jeep while riding his bike along Coastal Highway Route 1 near Rehoboth Avenue Extended.
"Russ was such a great and open guy," said friend Bryan Hecksher. "Just a great laugh and big hugs every time you saw him."
Troopers identified the driver as Brian C. Meegan, 38, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
After the initial impact, police said the Jeep carried the victim nearly 400 feet, slamming into a set of road dividers and throwing Henman's body to the ground. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers said Meegan fled, stopping in a nearby parking lot to remove the bike from his Jeep; he was arrested soon after.
Meegan is facing numerous charges including vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, according to state police. The driver had a valid Florida driver's license at the time of his arrest, said Del. State Police spokesman Cpl. Jeffrey Hale.
As of Monday afternoon, Meegan remained behind bars at the Sussex Correctional Institution, said Department of Correction spokesman John Painter.
"There are a lot of angry people and I think maybe because, partly, people are getting fed up with drunk driving but also because Russell was Russell," said friend Brian Gray, who spoke with Henman minutes before his death. "He loved this town and he loved so many people."
Friends of the victim said Meegan worked at the L Bar just outside of Rehoboth Beach, the same place Henman had visited earlier in the night. It's unclear if Meegan was working on Saturday. The bar was closed on Monday around noon and no one answered calls later in the afternoon.
Gray said he left the bar with Henman to get food; the two then sat at Grove Park where Henman opened up about his family. Gray said Henman was not drunk and police said the victim did not appear to be under the influence. Gray drove home in his car, saying goodbye to Henman as the victim began biking onto Coastal Highway.
"It's just surreal because I was the last person to be with him," Gray said. "We had a great conversation about his mom, his brother, his sister-in-law."
Henman was a banker who spent most of his life living in Worcester County, Gray said. Friends said Henman loved his dog and recently bought a place in the Rehoboth Beach area.
"Russ... will never have the chance to say hello to his mother, his brother, his friends; he'll just never get that chance to hug somebody again," said Hecksher.
Friends said funeral services and a memorial service are in the works.
Russell Henman, 44, of Snow Hill, Md., was struck and killed while riding his bike along Coastal Highway Route 1 near Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Brian C. Meegan, 38, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Delaware State Police return to the scene of the crash along Coastal Highway Route 1 on Monday night,. (Photo: WBOC)
