MILTON, Del. - A deadly chain-reaction crash shut down part of Coastal Highway Friday afternoon, leaving two people dead and several others injured, according to police.
The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. on the southbound side of the highway, just south of Hudson Road. Investigators say a Peterbilt dump truck failed to slow for traffic and hit the back of a Ford Edge, causing a pileup involving four other vehicles — a Nissan Altima, a BMW X2, and a BMW 135.
The driver of the Ford, a 62-year-old woman from Bel Air, Maryland, was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died. Her passenger, a 64-year-old man from Bel Air, was pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not yet been released.
The other drivers, from Millsboro, Milton, and Wilmington, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the BMW 135, a 74-year-old man from Lewes, was not hurt.
Coastal Highway was closed for about five hours while police investigated and cleared the scene.
The Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing to investigate the crash.