Fatal four-car crash snarls morning rush hour traffic near Meding’s

A four-car crash that left one man dead snarled morning rush hour traffic on Route 1 south of Meding’s seafood Jan. 18.

The crash happened at 6:35 a.m. when a 2015 Chrysler 200 was traveling southbound on Bay Road in the left lane south near Meding’s seafood in front of a 2016 Acura TL when for reasons still under investigation, police said the front of Acura struck the rear of the Chrysler. Following the collision, police said, the Chrysler driver pulled into the median and the Acura pulled over to the southbound shoulder. The driver of the Acura, Larry Cox, 78, of Smyrna, got out of his car and began crossing the southbound lanes when he crossed into the path of a 2013 Toyota Sienna, police said. The Toyota struck Cox, who came to rest in the median, police said, and the Toyota began swerving across both southbound lanes, striking a 2016 Ford Focus that was traveling southbound on Bay Road.

Cox was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chrysler, a Dover man, 28, and two women passengers, a 25-year-old from Camden, and a 46-year-old from Newark, were transported to an area hospital where they were treated and released.

The driver of the Toyota, a Laurel woman, 66, was transported to an area hospital where she was treated and released, and a passenger, a girl, 15, was not injured. The driver of the Ford, a 43-year-old man from Woodside was also not injured.

The roadway was closed for four hours while the scene was investigated and cleared. All southbound traffic was diverted onto other roads.

The Delaware State Police Troop 3 Collision Reconstruction Unit asks anyone who witnessed this crash to contact Sgt. A. Mitchell at (302) 698-8518; send a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police;or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 847-3333.