Police: Subaru Driver Struck Bicyclist and Drove Away

A Delaware woman is accused of fatally striking a bicyclist with her Subaru and continuing on until the vehicle became disabled, according to state police.

Kara Gilmore, 46, has been charged with second-degree vehicular homicide in connection with the death of 52-year-old Duane Pershing, Delaware State Police said. Authorities also charged her with leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, driving under the influence of alcohol, and several other traffic-related offenses.

Investigators said the crash happened around 9 p.m. Tuesday on Atlantic Avenue in Millville. Pershing was riding west in the eastbound bike lane, while Gilmore was traveling east in a Subaru Forester, placing the two on a direct path toward one another.

The collision occurred on Atlantic Avenue east of Whites Neck Road in the Sussex County town, which sits a few miles from the Atlantic coast. Police said Gilmore veered out of the eastbound travel lane, entered the bike lane, and hit Pershing.

According to authorities, Gilmore did not stop after the crash. Ocean View police officers later located her a short time afterward in the parking lot of a nearby bank, where the SUV had become disabled.

When troopers approached Gilmore, they observed what they described as multiple signs of impairment, police said. She was given field sobriety tests and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Pershing was found at the crash site and was flown to a regional hospital “with life-threatening injuries,” troopers said. He died the following day.

After Gilmore’s arrest, she was released on a $3,404 unsecured bond. However, following Pershing’s death, several of her charges were upgraded, and she was taken into custody in Maryland, where she is from.

The Delaware State Police said on Thursday that the crash investigation was ongoing, and they urged anyone with information to contact them.