Kidder

By Brian Gilliland, Associate Editor

(May 17, 2018) District Court Judge Gerald Purnell last Friday ordered Thomas Kidder, 59, to be held without bond until his trial scheduled for June 22, 2018 for the events surrounding the death of Eduardo Madrid, 38, of Berlin.

Kidder turned himself in to authorities on Thursday, May 10 for the Sunday, May 6 incident.

Interim State’s Attorney Bill McDermott said he asked Judge Purnell to hold Kidder without bond because he was a flight risk and a danger to the community.

“He is not employed, and he said he is homeless,” McDermott said. “He has ties to Seaford, Delaware.”

Kidder’s address is listed in Seaford, according to public records, but that conflicts with the information he provided to authorities.

McDermott said on May 6 Kidder caused a motor vehicle and bicycle crash on Route 589 involving Madrid, the cyclist. Kidder then fled the scene and caused another crash near the junction of Route 50 and Keyser Point Road, nine minutes later, before abandoning his vehicle and running off into the woods, McDermott said.

There he apparently remained for days before he turned himself in, McDermott said.

If Kidder is convicted, this would be his fifth alcohol-related driving offense, McDermott said.

Kidder is charged with driving while impaired, driving under the influence, failure to stop at an accident involving death as well as involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide. He was also cited for negligent driving, which carries a fine of $280 and doesn’t require a court appearance.

Madrid was pronounced dead at Atlantic General Hospital.