Drunken driver charged with homicide after running stop sign kills woman

A fatal collision occurred on Saturday night in New Castle, Delaware, resulting in the death of a 54-year-old woman. The incident took place at approximately 10:50 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Route 13 and Schafer Boulevard. According to the Delaware State Police, the woman was operating a motorcycle and traveling northbound in the right lane of Route 13, approaching the intersection. Simultaneously, 42-year-old Samuel Larkin, a resident of New Castle, was driving a Mazda 6 westbound on Schafer Boulevard, heading toward the same intersection.

Police reports indicate that Larkin failed to obey a stop sign at the intersection, causing his vehicle to strike the woman on her motorcycle. The impact of the collision proved fatal for the motorcyclist. When officers arrived at the scene, they observed that Larkin was displaying signs of impairment. He was subsequently administered field sobriety tests, which he failed. Based on the evidence gathered at the scene and the results of the sobriety tests, Larkin was taken into custody.

The legal consequences for Larkin were immediate and severe. He was formally charged with vehicular homicide of the second degree, driving under the influence, and failure to stop at a stop sign. These charges reflect the police's assessment that his alleged intoxication and disregard for a traffic control device directly caused the death of another person. The specific details of his impairment, such as his blood alcohol content, were not immediately released.

The aftermath of the crash necessitated a significant law enforcement response and caused major traffic disruption. The intersection of Route 13 and Schafer Boulevard was completely closed to all traffic for approximately three hours as investigators worked to document the scene and clear the wreckage. The roadway has since been reopened. The investigation into the fatal crash remains active and is being led by the Delaware State Police. As of the latest reports, the identity of the 54-year-old victim had not yet been made public, pending notification of her next of kin.