Suspect on bike killed in crash with trooper Saturday

A state police trooper on Saturday crashed into a bicyclist he was pursing, killing him.  

Police said the trooper was driving a marked 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe and found a man on a bike matching a burglary suspect's description. The trooper was traveling northbound on Fisher Road toward Lewes-Georgetown Highway south of Milton, police said.

Police said the trooper turned around and activated his emergency lights and sirens to get the bicyclist to stop, but the bicyclist continued southbound on Fisher Road. Police said the trooper gave the bicyclist verbal commands to stop, but he did not. 

"As the pursuit of the suspect continued the two vehicles were involved in a collision," State Police Spokesman Sgt. Richard Bratz said in a news release. 

The 32-year-old bicyclist was transported to Beebe Medical Center by ambulance where he was pronounced dead, police said. The trooper wasn't hurt in the crash. 

The 28-year-old trooper has been a state police employee for four years, police said. He's been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. 

Fisher Road south of Lewes-Georgetown Highway south of Milton was closed in the area of the crash for about four hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.

The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. Patrol units from Troop 7 were searching for a burglary suspect reported to be a thin white man on a bike, police said. 

"Recent video surveillance of a burglarized residence supported the description information," Bratz said in the news release.

More information on this incident will be released as it becomes available.

Contact Adam Duvernay at (302) 319-1855 or aduvernay@delawareonline.com