A Delaware community is mourning the loss of a Milford middle school principal and her 10 year-old daughter. The two were killed as a result of a car accident.
Delaware State Police and the Milford School District confirmed that 42-year-old Tricia Martin of Camden died at a hospital following the crash Friday night near Frederica. Martin's 10-year-old daughter Taryn succumbed to her injuries from the crash, according to the school district.
Martin was principal of Milford Central Academy, which has over 1,000 students in 6th through 8th grades.
"Our entire district is mourning her death. Tricia was an admired and respected member of our staff. She had the difficult task of running a school of approximately 1040 students, but did so with enthusiasm and caring," said Milford School District superintendent Phyllis Kohel. "The students and staff at Central Academy as well as everyone in our district will miss her terribly."
Police say Martin's SUV ran off the road and struck an embankment, flipping on its side. Her daughter, Taryn, got out to ask for help, and then another SUV hit Martin's vehicle. Taryn Martin was also hit in that collision.
Delaware State Police released the following information about the accident:
"While Tricia Martin was still inside the vehicle, her daughter, Taryn Martin, exited the vehicle and was attempting to ask for help from a passing vehicle that was stopped in the roadway near the Acura. At the same time, a 2005 GMC Yukon operated by Richard B. Triola, was traveling eastbound on Barratts Chapel Road east of McGinnis Pond Road approaching the collision scene. The Yukon struck the Acura in the eastbound lane and pushed it eastbound into the ditch off the south side of the roadway where it rotated back right side up facing westbound. Tricia Martin was ejected from her vehicle and thrown onto the roadway upon impact. Taryn Martin, who was standing outside of the vehicle in the roadway, was struck by one of the vehicles and thrown onto the south side of the roadway and into the grass. The GMC came to a controlled stop after the collision.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Tricia Martin was flown from the scene by State Police Aviation to Christiana Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Taryn Martin was initially transported to Kent General Hospital before being transferred to A. I. DuPont Hospital."
Milford superintendent Phyllis Kohel says Martin's death is "heartbreaking'' for the school district. A crisis team will be at the school on Monday.
State police say in addition to Martin and her daughter's deaths, three others were also killed in Delaware this weekend in three separate accidents from Friday night into early Saturday morning.
