A man was ejected from a tractor-trailer and killed after his vehicle struck an SUV on I-95 in Newark, Delaware, Sunday morning, according to state police.
Investigators said a 51-year-old Virginia woman was driving a 2013 Honda Pilot in the right lane of I-95 southbound between DE 273 and the Delaware Service Area around 8:50 a.m. At the same time, a 65-year-old Gary Buffalino, from Centereach, New York, was driving a tractor-trailer southbound on I-95 in the left lane a few car lengths ahead of the Pilot.
Investigators said the tractor-trailer then suddenly drifted to the right across all three southbound lanes and then sideswiped the driver’s side of the Honda Pilot.
The crash sent the tractor-trailer off the roadway, down a slight embankment and into a wooded area. The vehicle struck several trees before coming to a rest.
Buffalino, who police say was not properly restrained, was ejected from the vehicle after it struck a final tree. The Honda Pilot came to a controlled stop along the shoulder.
Buffalino, who was the only person inside the tractor-trailer, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The woman, who was the only person inside the SUV, was treated at the scene and released.
Three of the four southbound lanes of I-95 were closed for about five and a half hours due to the crash. If you have any information, please call Sgt. D. Alexander of the Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit at 302-365-8437. You can also call the Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
