After deadly hit-and-run, police urge pedestrians, drivers to obey traffic laws

DOVER, Del. – Driving down North DuPont highway you’ll see pedestrian signs and crosswalks.

But unfortunately, those rules couldn’t help save 62-year-old Barbra Benson, a pedestrian who Corporal Ryan Schmid with the Dover Police Department said was crossing the busy highway in the dark.

“The victim, Barbra Benson, was crossing North DuPont highway in the area of a local motel,” said Schmid. “At the same time, there was a vehicle traveling southbound on North DuPont highway, in the right lane, and the vehicle struck Ms. Benson.”

24-year-old Aaliyah Graves turned herself in for her involvement in the incident on September 1st. But this tragedy isn’t a one-off occurrence. The stretch of road between two busy intersections is no stranger to accidents.

“We’ll see 2-3 a week, at least,” said Tyler Hroncich.

Hroncich works at the car wash that sits right off the highway. He told WMDT that working outside all day, he and his crew have witnessed countless crashes. A majority of them are cars hitting other cars, but there are instances where he said pedestrians have walked into traffic.

“I mean, we have a lot of homeless people that will walk out in front of cars all the time. I haven’t seen anyone get hit yet, which is good, but it’s dangerous sometimes,” said Hroncich.

“It shuts down the road; people can’t come in get to where they’re trying to go, and it affects us, cause we’re a car wash. You have to drive to get here,” he added.

Schmid said the department has been working to educate drivers and pedestrians on the importance of obeying the rules of the road, especially in high-traffic areas.

“If you’re driving on the highway and someone walks in front of you, there’s only so much you can do. Having said that, if you’re not distracted, not on your cell phone, not paying attention to anything else in the car, and following the speed limit, those are all things that can prevent things like this from happening,” said Schmid.