3 in hospital after head-on collision with wrong-way driver on Del. 1

Three people are in the hospital after a wrong-way driver on Del. 1 north crossed the Roth Bridge, went through the toll plaza and smashed head on into a northbound vehicle in the area of Pole Bridge Road in Middletown, Delaware State Police say.

A 24-year-old Wilmington woman drove a Chevy Malibu south on Del. 1 north just after midnight on Saturday morning, police said. She started north of the Roth Bridge, crossed the canal and went through the Biddles Toll Plaza.  

One vehicle driving north in the left lane managed to swerve out of the way, but the vehicle just behind it, driven by a 39-year-old woman from Concord, North Carolina, was unable to get out of the way and hit the Impala head on, police said.

The Impala's driver was taken to Christiana Hospital with serious injuries. Police said impairment may have been a factor in her wrong-way driving. 

The Nissan driver was taken to Christiana Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Her passenger, a 41-year-old man also from Concord, was not wearing a seat belt and was taken to Christiana with serious injuries, police said. 

Del. 1 north was closed for about two hours while police investigated and cleared the scene. 

Police are still investigating. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Cpl. J. Breen of the Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit at 302-365-8486, call Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, or go online to www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.