DOVER, Del.- Delaware State Police have released the name of a woman killed in a five-car crash that happened Thursday afternoon north of Dover.
Troopers identified the victim as 62-year-old Sarah I. Baird, of Wilmington.
Police said that shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday, Baird was operating a Volvo S60 northbound in the left lane of SR1, north of Fast Landing Road. Investigators said that meantime, 26-year-old Brandon R. Cooper, of Calhoun, Ga., was operating a Jeep Wrangler southbound in the right lane of SR1 approaching the same area.
Troopers said that for unknown reasons, Baird lost control of the Volvo, which began to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as it exited the west edge of the northbound travel lane. Police said the Volvo entered the grass median and continued to rotate in a counter-clockwise manner before entering into the left lane of southbound SR1 in front of the Jeep Wrangler. The front of the Volvo then struck the left front corner of the Jeep in the right southbound lane, according to police.
Investigators said that after the impact, the Volvo rotated an undetermined number of times and came to a stop on the southbound shoulder, south of the initial impact, facing in a northerly direction. The Jeep Wrangler also rotated an undetermined number of times as it went off the west edge of the road and came to stop upright in the grass, facing in a northeasterly direction, according to police.
Troopers said that as the initial crash was occurring, 38-year-old Brian M. Mathe, of Middletown, was operating a Honda Pilot southbound in the left lane of SR1 behind the Jeep Wrangler. He was able to slow and successfully avoided the collision, according to troopers. However, 46-year-old Kelli J. Amaya of Middletown, was operating a 2011 GMC Terrain directly behind the Honda Pilot and was unable to stop in time and struck the rear of the Pilot, investigators said.
Police said that as these two collisions were simultaneously occurring, 60-year-old Vicki L. Johnson, of Smyrna, was operating a Chevrolet Silverado, pulling an enclosed horse trailer, southbound in the right lane slightly behind and to the right of the GMC Terrain. Troopers said she attempted to maneuver between the two collisions, and in doing so, the right front struck the left side front door of the Volvo as it was spinning out of control. This impact forced the Silverado off the west side of the road and up an embankment where it came to a stop with the horse trailer still attached, investigators said. The Honda Pilot pulled to a controlled stop on the southbound shoulder, troopers said. They said the Chevrolet Silverado was able to come to a controlled stop in the grass center median. Investigators said that once all vehicles came to a stop and Mathe got out of his Jeep Wrangler, it became engulfed in flames, however, no one was injured as a result of the fire.
Baird, who police said was properly restrained, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said a 63-year-old male passenger in the Volvo, was not properly restrained and was airlifted by Delaware State Police Aviation to Christiana Medical Center where he was admitted with undetermined injuries.
Cooper was properly restrained and was transported by EMS to Bayhealth Kent General Hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released, police said.
Mathe was properly restrained and was uninjured in the crash, investigators said.
Amaya was properly restrained and was transported by EMS to KGH where she was admitted with undetermined injuries, according to police.
Police said Johnson was properly restrained and was uninjured in the crash. A horse that was in the trailer was also reportedly uninjured in the incident.
The DSP Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing its investigation into the incident. Alcohol was not a factor for any of the operators, according to police. SR1 southbound and northbound was closed for approximately three and a half hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.
