Delaware Teen Dies After Being Hit by Street Racer: Police

A teen was left for dead after a driver allegedly street racing with another car struck the boy in Newark Tuesday night.

Michael Gropp was hit at the intersection of Route 273 (Christiana Road) and Brownleaf Road around 10 p.m. Tuesday night while he walked his girlfriend Madaline Rafferty home.

Police continued to investigate the hit-and-run and search for the drivers Wednesday.

Gropp and Rafferty were crossing the intersection when a dark car, described as having possibly post-market or upgraded bluish headlights, hit the boy, Delaware State Police said. The car would likely have front-end damage.

"Me and Mike were walking across the street and the car honked and hit him, said Rafferty. "I thought he was still behind me but I looked back and he wasn't there."

The dark car was believed to be racing another vehicle -- possibly a Ford Mustang, said Delaware State Police.

Obviously descriptions of both cars remained limited as of Wednesday afternoon. Part of the problem was that witnesses to the hit-and-run crash left the scene before emergency personal showed up, said police.

Gropp was a junior at Hodgson Vocational School, according to a family spokesman. The boy was remembered as outgoing and "always happy."

Anyone with info on the crash or the drivers involved is asked to call Delaware State Police: 302-834-2620, ext. 286.

Contact Us