Baby killed in crash after police chase in Wilmington, Delaware; driver in critical condition
A four-month-old boy died early Tuesday morning after being ejected from an SUV that crashed during a police pursuit in Wilmington, Delaware.
Surveillance footage captured the moment the vehicle sped down Marsh Road and smashed through a fence near an apartment complex on Edgemoor Road.
Police said the infant, Maurice Brown Jr., was unrestrained in the vehicle and died after being ejected in the crash.
John Townsend, who owns a nearby auto shop, said he heard the crash just before 1:30 a.m.
"I'm a grandparent myself, so I would never want to hear anything like that happen to a child," Townsend said.
He told Action News was still at work and heard the accident. "Just cleaning up around the shop, had watched the football games, just rounding up my day, and that's what happened."
According to Wilmington police, the incident began at 1:16 a.m. when officers pulled over a vehicle on I-95.
The 33-year-old male driver was reportedly wanted for multiple offenses. A 32-year-old woman, a 10-year-old girl, and the infant were also in the SUV.
Police said the driver fled the traffic stop, leading officers on a chase down I-95 to the Marsh Road exit, where the vehicle crashed about a mile and a half down the road.
Christian Hansen, a local resident, came outside after hearing the collision.
"It's sick. I don't know how somebody can drive like that with kids in the car," Hansen said.
The driver was hospitalized in critical condition. The woman and the 10-year-old girl were reported to be in stable condition.
The baby died at the hospital.
As crews worked to clear the wreckage, some neighbors questioned the decision to pursue the vehicle.
"At a certain point, you have to determine is the person more dangerous to the public or themselves," Hansen said.
"If they're that reckless, it's nothing going to stop them, you should've stopped yourself," Townsend added.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued a statement Tuesday.
"What I can say today is that this was a horrifying, senseless tragedy that once again underscores the unacceptable and lethal danger of fleeing the police," Jennings said. "A four-month-old baby is dead today. Nothing could have justified putting his life at risk - and whatever consequences the driver now faces pale in comparison to the price this child paid by no choice of his own.
"We are still in the pendency of a comprehensive investigation of the crimes that contributed to this devastating loss."
Police said the driver is expected to face charges related to the pursuit and the death of the infant.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Senior Corporal Keith Johnson at (302) 571-4415 or Keith.Johnson@cj.state.de.us.
