Car slams under tractor trailer at U.S. 13 and 40

The top of a car was crushed under a tractor trailer tonight in New Castle County, just north of where U.S. routes 13 and 40 split. The driver was removed from the vehicle by New Castle County Paramedics and transported to Christiana Hospital after being trapped inside for 10-15 minutes, fire officials said. He did not suffer life threatening injuries.

“I was pulling in when it happened. I saw the truck making a U-turn right there and then I heard loud tires screeching and then the car was underneath it,” said Mikey Rodriguez, manager of Audio Jam, a car audio specialist store near where the accident occurred.

“He was knocked out at first. I thought he was dead,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said he and two coworkers rushed to the car and shined a flashlight inside to see how many people were injured.

“He was laying still and then he came to. He started trying to jump around the car. He was complaining about his back,” Rodriguez said of the victim, who was a customer at Audio Jam. “I just told him to be still.”

The accident happened in the northbound lane of U.S. 13 just before 6:30 p.m. Wilmington Manor Fire Engine Company 32, which is directly across the street from where the accident occurred, responded first. Traffic snarled in the southbound lanes of 13 as passing cars looked on, and Delaware State Police reduced northbound traffic to one lane. Northbound traffic was completely stopped for several minutes around 7:15 p.m. when a tow truck removed the car from under the trailer.

The trailer driver was not hurt. Police are still investigating.Source