1 dead after 6 people hit by vehicle near University of Delaware; road closed, officials say

One person is dead and eight others were injured, including a driver, after a U-Haul truck hit multiple people and crashed near the University of Delaware's campus on Tuesday afternoon, according to officials.Newark police said around 4:30 p.m., officers found an outstanding U-Haul that was never returned after being originally due in March. Police said two people were inside the U-Haul, which was in a parking lot in the 200 block of East Main Street. Investigators said officers tried to arrest the two suspects, but the U-Haul sped away, ran over a curb, hit a police car and ignored commands to stop. Newark police decided not to pursue the U-Haul and stayed in the shopping center parking lot. Five minutes later, police said the truck was speeding westbound on East Main Street when it hit two pedestrians who were standing near a parked car. The U-Haul then hit multiple parked cars before stopping a little further down Main Street, according to police.Police responded to the crash and began administering life-saving measures to the two pedestrians. One of the victims died at the scene, and the other was seriously injured and brought to the hospital, according to police. Neither of the victims were identified by police Tuesday night.Investigators found the U-Haul van and detained the driver, who was seriously injured, and the passenger. Authorities then brought the driver to the hospital, police said.Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company said three other people were brought to the emergency room with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials said three additional people were treated for minor injuries at the scene and declined further medical treatment.Hours after the crash, East Main Street remains closed in the area of South Chapel Street. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and seek alternate routes as the investigation continues. Newark police said the roadway will likely be closed for a long time as the department's Traffic Unit investigates the crash.Main Street, Newark, Delaware accidentThe crash happened near several downtown businesses, including a Chipotle, a Five Guys, a dumpling restaurant and a bar and grill. The downtown section is a popular area for university students to grab a bite to eat.Chopper 3 was over the crash scene Tuesday afternoon, where a crowd of people was gathered outside on the street. Witnesses told CBS News Philadelphia they saw a white U-Haul van speeding down Main Street when it hit two people. The witnesses said they also saw the driver being detained. In an announcement, the University of Delaware said there is no ongoing danger to the campus community. The university also provided a list of resources for students looking for support. However, it's unclear at this time if any of the victims were students.Victoria Dellanno, a junior at the University of Delaware, was playing intramural softball with her friends when she said they heard screams, sirens and crash-like sounds before getting a safety alert from the college.Dellanno said she lives right off Main Street and is now worried for her safety. "Now I don't know if I can walk here anymore," she said. "It makes me feel really worried and scared just to walk, and I shouldn't feel that way at a college campus, but with stuff like this going on, like it just makes me really scared."The student said the area has been packed recently because people want to enjoy the nice weather and the last few weeks of the school year before graduation."I know a few of my friends are actually going home," Dellanno said. "I'm hoping that they cancel class tomorrow because I'm not going to go...I just need a day to take a second." Speeding on Main StreetOn the first day of classes during the Fall 2024 semester, a University of Delaware freshman was struck and killed by a motorcyclist on West Main Street.Newark police previously identified the motorcyclist as Brian Briddle, who is said to have sped away from an attempted traffic stop. "The officer turned his lights off and did not pursue the motorcycle. Within a minute, the motorcycle had gone to a high rate of speed," Newark Police Lt. Andrew Rubin said in 2024.Police said Briddle then fatally struck a UD first-year student in a crosswalk on campus. She was later identified as 18-year-old Noelia Gomez of Clark, New Jersey. Others were injured in the incident.