A 22-year-old man is in custody after allegedly ploughing a stolen U-Haul van into a crowd in Newark, killing a university student and leaving another critically injured. The shocking incident has left the University of Delaware community reeling, reported NBC News.
According to Newark Police, the chaos began on the afternoon of 29 April when officers were alerted about a U-Haul that had been reported stolen and overdue since mid-March. They located the van parked near a shopping centre on East Main Street and waited to apprehend the driver, identified as Gordon Turner.
At around 4:30 p.m., Turner and another individual got into the vehicle. But before police could approach, Turner reportedly drove over a curb, smashed into a police car, and sped off. Officers say they didn’t pursue the van and instead stayed in the parking lot.
What happened next was nothing short of catastrophic. Turner allegedly continued driving recklessly down East Main Street until he lost control, slamming into two pedestrians. The crash didn’t stop there—he also hit several parked cars, one of which had four people inside. The force of the impact caused a chain reaction, injuring a third pedestrian who was struck by one of the cars pushed during the collision.
Emergency services were overwhelmed by 999 calls pouring in about the incident. When officers arrived at the scene, they tried to help the victims, but it was too late for one of them—a 24-year-old graduate student from the University of Delaware was pronounced dead at the scene. Another 24-year-old student was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but is now said to be stable.
Turner himself was taken to hospital for evaluation before being handed over to police. A passenger in the van was also taken in for questioning but hasn’t been charged at this time.
Turner is now facing a long list of charges, including two counts of second-degree murder (one tied to committing a felony, another for reckless conduct), first-degree assault, evading police, and possession of marijuana beyond the legal limit. He’s also wanted on outstanding warrants in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. To make matters worse, police found a handgun in the van, and more charges could be on the way.
In response to the tragedy, University of Delaware officials released a statement expressing heartbreak and vowing to push harder for road safety. “We recognize there isn’t a simple solution… However, this incident underscores that our collective efforts must take on renewed urgency.”