TOWNSEND, Del. — A Teaneck father and his four daughters were killed in a crash in Delaware on Friday afternoon after a pickup truck drove onto the wrong side of the highway and collided with their minivan.

The family's 1998 Toyota Sienna was traveling north on Route 1 in Townsend when it was struck by a Ford F350 pickup truck that crossed the grassy median about 3:45 p.m., according to Delaware State Police.

The driver of the Sienna, a 61-year-old man, and his daughters — ages 20, 17 and two 13-year-olds — were pronounced dead at the scene. The man's 53-year-old wife was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The husband and wife were properly restrained but the daughters in the rear seats were not, according to police.

Police said it is still unknown why the pickup driver, a 44-year-old man from East New Market, Maryland, lost control. He first struck a Mercury Sable, causing it to spin off into an embankment. Police said the minivan, traveling behind the Sable, hit the passenger side of the pickup, sending both into a ditch.

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The crash left debris across the roadway, according to DelawareOnline.com's account of the crash.

Route 1 South was closed for five hours for cleanup and investigation, according to police, creating a 17-mile backup.

A passenger in the pickup, a 30-year-old man from Hurlock, Maryland, and the driver of the Sable, a 24-year-old man from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, were hospitalized and released.

Police have not yet disclosed the identity of anyone involved in the crash.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

 

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