GEORGETOWN, DE -- Two crashes at the Georgetown Circle over the weekend have left parts of the circle damaged, according to the Georgetown Police Department. Authorities said both crashes involved impaired drivers.
The First Crash
The first crash happened Friday night just before 10:30 pm, according to officials. A 28-year-old Smyrna man was arrested after a high-speed chase that included multiple traffic violations and two crashes, one of which was the one at the Georgetown Circle.
Georgetown police say that officers originally saw the car speeding down Old Laurel Rd. They attempted to catch up, and they say they saw the car not stop at a stop sign and crash into a ramp at Georgetown Elementary School. The officer turned on their lights, and they say the driver then reversed and fled the scene, speeding again and committing more traffic violations.
The car did not properly navigate around the Circle and crashed into its interior. Officers arrested Dwayne Boney at the scene, where they say he was showing signs of impairment. He was treated at a local hospital and then went back into police custody.
Boney was charged with:
- Two counts of Criminal Mischief ($5,000 or more)
- Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal
- Leaving the Scene of a Property Collision
- Driving Under the Influence
- Failure to Provide Information at the Scene of a Collision
- Failure to Have Insurance Identification
- Two counts of Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign
- Improper Passing
- Driving at an Unreasonable Speed
Boney was released on his own recognizance after he appeared in front of a magistrate.
The Second Crash
The second crash of the weekend happened around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to the Georgetown Police Department. Officers were reportedly dispatched to North Bedford St. and the Circle, and upon arrival, saw a man fleeing the scene on foot. After a short pursuit, they say they arrested the suspect, 35-year-old Santos Niz-Chilel of Georgetown.
Authorities said the car was traveling down North Bedford St, then crashed straight into the Circle, hitting a street sign and damaging flower beds nearby. Police say the cost of the damages is still being assessed.
Niz-Chilel was charged with the following:
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
- Resisting Arrest
- Criminal Mischief
- Failure to Provide Information
- Leaving the Scene of a Crash
Georgetown police said he is being held at the Sussex Correctional Institution.
Neighbors React
WBOC went out to the Georgetown Circle on Monday to speak with people about the weekend's crashes. CJ Morris, who was walking in the circle with his young niece, said it makes him wonder if town leaders need to install additional safety measures.
"I think they need more barriers or barricades, something to keep unwanted things out," Morris said. "The poles here now are kind of slim; they're not very sturdy. Cars can get through them pretty easily. If people are sitting around here for an outing, or even to come watch the fountain, a car coming through here could be a very bad situation."
Georgetown officials have installed safety measures around the circle, including additional signage, road markings, and the bollards surrounding the circle. These accidents also come on the heels of talks to remove memorials from the circle out of concern for damaging them.
Walter Kinsler, another neighbor visiting the park inside the circle on Monday, told WBOC he thinks Georgetown officials have done all they can in terms of safety. Kinsler said he thinks the issue boils down to impaired driving rather than installing additional safety measures.
"You're not gonna stop anyone from drunk driving," Kinsler said. "It's gonna happen no matter what. There's nothing they can do about it."
What's Next
Officials with the Georgetown Police Department told WBOC that most of the accidents they see at the Georgetown Circle are a result of impaired driving. While they said there is no foolproof solution, authorities said there are projects in the works to crack down on the issue.
One project in the works is a speed-limit sign that catches high speeds early on and flashes red and blue to alert the driver. Officials said this hopes to decrease all crashes in the area, and that officers are hopeful it may be able to catch the attention of impaired drivers. They were not sure when that project would be completed.
Authorities also told WBOC they have hired more personnel and are hopeful that this will allow them to catch more impaired drivers through increased enforcement.
Officials also ask that, if anyone in the area sees anyone they believe may be driving under the influence, they contact the Georgetown Police Department immediately.