The four-vehicle crash that took the life of a Kennett Square, Pennsylvania man had strong local impacts. Peter Surdo, 71, managed the Davidson’s Exotic Mushroom booth at the Riverwalk Farmer’s Market for many years.
On Saturday morning, a small memorial was set up at the market in Surdo’s honor and market managers said that everyone was “in shock” upon hearing of his death.
The accident occurred on July 11 and involved four separate vehicles. At around 7:30 AM, Surdo was traveling in his Chrysler Town and Country van, heading southbound in the left lane, behind a Subaru Forester with a Chrysler 200 also in the left lane behind the Subaru. A Chevrolet Tahoe, traveling northbound and approaching Bakerfield Road, attempted to negotiate the highway curve and failed to do so.
The Tahoe entered the center median and rotated counterclockwise before entering the southbound lanes into the path of the Surdo’s van. The right front of the Tahoe struck the front of the van, completely separating the engine from the Tahoe. Because of the sudden stop of the van, the Subaru struck the rear of the minivan, and the Chrysler struck the engine that had detached from the Tahoe.
Surdo was pronounced dead at the scene and his name was not released until Monday after family notification. The driver of the Tahoe, a 31-year-old from Frederica, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. The driver of the Forester, a 36-year-old woman from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chrysler, a 34-year-old woman from Dover, was not injured.
Coastal Highway was closed for approximately four hours as the scene was investigated and cleared. However, the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has relevant information is asked to contact Sergeant A. Mitchell at 302-703-3269. Information can also be provided through a private Facebook message or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333. All tips can remain anonymous.
