On the chilly evening of Friday, January 23, a Middletown man’s attempt to escape a convenience store led to a tragic crash that ended his life on a busy Delaware highway. At about 6:10 p.m., 64‑year‑old David Wilmore ran from the Wawa at 117 South Dupont Highway after police say he shoplifted items inside. Moments later, he stepped into heavy southbound traffic in a spot where pedestrians are expressly discouraged from crossing.
South Dupont Highway, better known as U.S. Route 13, is a four‑lane thoroughfare with fast traffic and few safe crosswalks. A center median with fencing was installed near the Wawa precisely to stop people from darting into the roadway. Despite that barrier, Wilmore left the sidewalk and ran across into the path of a southbound Toyota Tundra.
The pickup truck struck Wilmore in the left lane. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but Wilmore suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead right there on the asphalt. Troopers with the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit documented the scene and closed parts of the highway while they worked.
The driver of the truck, a 45‑year‑old woman from New Castle, wasn’t physically hurt. Police say she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when troopers spoke with her. She was cited for driving under the influence and later released after the arrest was processed. At this time, officials haven’t announced any further charges connected to Wilmore’s death.
Delaware State Police emphasized that crossing at that section of U.S. 13 is especially dangerous. Traffic here rarely slows in the evenings, and many pedestrians lack protected crosswalks or signals. The fenced median was put in place to cut down on exactly the kind of desperate dash Wilmore made.
Investigators are still reviewing witness accounts, business surveillance and traffic camera footage to understand the complete sequence of what happened. They’re also looking into what led Wilmore to bolt into traffic and how the events unfolded in the seconds before he was struck. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Delaware State Police.
Friends and neighbors in Middletown and New Castle are reacting with sadness to the news that a routine evening at a convenience store turned into a fatal tragedy. The crash serves as a stark reminder of how split‑second decisions and risky crossings on fast highways can have heartbreakingly final outcomes.
