Over the weekend, a DUI suspect made a dangerous impact by crashing into parked police vehicles on Route 141, leading to multiple charges, including three felony counts of reckless endangerment. The New Castle County Police department reported that 40-year-old Francisco Santos of Wilmington was arrested after he smashed into two police Tahoes that were set up to assist at another collision site.
Around 3 a.m. on Sunday, officers had responded to an initial collision on Route 141 above East Ayre Street in Newport, Delaware. To secure the scene, they had parked their marked vehicles with activated emergency lights. According to a social media post from New Castle County Police, it was during this operation that Santos, driving a white GMC Yukon, hit the rear of one Tahoe, setting off a chain reaction that damaged a second police vehicle.
The officers at the scene, who were outside of their vehicles, remained unharmed despite the crash. Santos was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and faced additional charges including criminal mischief, resisting arrest, and multiple misdemeanors related to the traffic violations. He received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital before being released into police custody.
Following the incident, Santos was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to pay the $18,700 secure bail. The New Castle County Police emphasized the seriousness of DUI offenses and the risks posed by impaired driving, particularly when failing to observe emergency signals on roadways. Officers continue to urge drivers to remain attentive and sober while behind the wheel, to prevent such potentially catastrophic incidents.
