Two-vehicle collision costs elderly woman her life after being ejected onto roadway

(July 15, 2021) Ocean Pines resident Luke Sichau, 25, was arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal crash Friday afternoon on Route 1 near Odessa, Delaware, where a 92-year-old woman was killed after being ejected from the vehicle.

Delaware State Police said the collision occurred about 3:15 p.m. on July 9, when a 2003 Nissan Sentra driven by Sichau merged into the left lane and struck a 2015 BMW 428 on its right side.

Police reports indicate the BMW, which was being operated by a 61-year-old woman, veered westward, rolled over a guardrail and came to rest on its roof in a grassy area near the southbound travel lanes.

The woman driving the BMW and a 59-year-old man in the front passenger seat, both from Camden-Wyoming, Delaware, were both wearing seatbelts and escaped with minor injuries.

Police said the 92-year-old victim was unrestrained in the right rear seat of the BMW and that she was ejected from the car by the force of the collision.

The crash victim, Shantaben Patel, also of Camden-Wyoming, was airlifted to Christiana Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.

Police said that Sichau continued traveling north on Route 1 after the accident, but surrendered to Delaware State Police at about 5:30 p.m.

Sichau, who was uninjured, is charged with felony leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality and released on $2,000 unsecured bond.

Police said passage northbound and southbound on Route 1 was restricted for more than four hours while the collision was investigated.

The investigation remains active and police ask anyone with information about the crash to contact Detective J. Forester with the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit at 302-365-8485 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.