Fatal crash involving work trucks under investigation in Smyrna

SMYRNA, Del. – Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal crash involving two work trucks in the Smyrna area.

At around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, police say a 2021 International Box Truck was traveling northbound on Route 1 in the right lane, north of Exit 114. At the same time, a 2018 International Flatbed Truck was stopped on the northbound right shoulder of Route 1, north of Exit 114. The driver of the stopped truck was outside of the vehicle when the driver of the box truck reportedly fell asleep and drift off the east edge of the roadway. The front of the box truck hit the left rear of the flatbed truck, and the driver of the flatbed truck was also hit. The box truck then swerved to the left across both northbound lanes of Route 1 and off the west edge of the roadway, where it hit a guardrail and traveled into the grass median.

The driver of the box truck, a 24-year-old West Virginia man, was taken to an area hospital for minor injuries. The front-seat passenger, a 57-year-old Baltimore man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the flatbed truck, a 60-year-old New Jersey man, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.