BETHANY BEACH, DE - Police have made an arrest in connection to a serious crash in Bethany Beach following a police pursuit on Coastal Highway.
According to the Bethany Beach Police Department, an officer saw a red Honda Accord allegedly commit a traffic violation just before 10:45 a.m. on September 5th. The officer attempted a traffic stop, police say, but the car ignored the officer’s signals to stop, resulting in a pursuit on Northbound Coastal Highway.
Police say the car drove recklessly before making a U-turn south of the Indian River Inlet Bridge, and continued speeding. Police say the chase was then called off for safety.
Delaware State Police say the driver, an 18-year-old man from Millsboro, later lost control of the car and crossed the median into the opposite lane of traffic, leading to a head-on crash with a Ford Transit Van.
In a social media post, the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company says they were called to the crash and alerted to an entrapment. Crews arrived and were able to free the trapped patient, along with another patient. WBOC’s Chopper 16 was overhead shortly after to capture a red car that appeared to have collided head on with a passenger van.
The 18-year-old driver of the Honda, identified as Yaniel Pagan, of Millsboro, was airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries, according to troopers.
DSP says the van's driver, a 60-year-old man from Frankford, was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
On September 11th, Bethany Beach Police announced Pagan had been released from the hospital and was arrested. Pagan was taken to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $14,100 secured bond on the following charges:
Reckless Endangering (Felony)
Disregard a Police Officer's Signal (Felony)
Vehicular Assault
Possession of Personal Use Marijuana
Numerous traffic related charges
Coastal Highway southbound was closed for approximately 3.5 hours as investigators processed the scene on September 5th.
