On Sunday, March 30, 2025, at around 6:15 p.m., an officer was heading east on Christiana Road near Thomas Garrett Drive when a silver Kia Optima veered across the grassy median, colliding head-on with the front of the patrol car. The collision was intense, causing the Kia to break in two. Two passengers in the back—a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old—were thrown from the vehicle. The driver, a 37-year-old woman, and a 15-year-old passenger in the front seat stayed inside as the car moved into the eastbound lanes of Christiana Road.

The officer was momentarily stuck inside the patrol vehicle until another officer arrived to help him out through the passenger side door. These officers, alongside additional units that responded to the scene, quickly started providing aid and life-saving procedures to all individuals involved, including applying several tourniquets on the 10-year-old. New Castle County Paramedics and other EMS teams arrived to continue medical assistance.

The officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment and has since been released. The driver and all three children from the Kia were also hospitalized for medical care. As of today, April 4, 2025:

• The 10-year-old child remains in critical but stable condition

• The 13-year-old child is now in stable condition

• The 37-year-old female is now in stable condition

• The 15-year-old child has been treated and released