Police on Saturday identified two people killed in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 95 in Delaware Wednesday.
Delaware National Guard Cpl. Erin Sasse, 25, was among the dead after she pulled over close to the Churchmans Road overpass in Newark. She was trying to help the driver of a Honda Civic that was struck and disabled in the northbound left lane, Delaware State Police said in a news statement.
As Sasse pulled up in her Ford Focus, a Kia Stinger struck the Ford when its driver tried to avoid the Civic. The impact sent the Focus front-first into a concrete barrier.
The Stinger also struck a 29-year-old man on the shoulder and sent him into oncoming southbound traffic. Police identified him Saturday as Lorenzo Deer, of North East, Maryland. He had also stopped to help the driver of the Civic.
Deer was pronounced dead at the scene and Sasse later at a hospital.
Sasse was mourned in statements from the Delaware National Guard and Delaware Sen. Chris Coons.
"Erin's instinct to risk her own safety in slowing down to assist a disabled motorist on a dangerous interstate is a testament to her courage and her character," Coons said. "Her family, friends, and fellow soldiers knew her as a remarkable and incredibly caring person, and her tragic loss will be felt by many for years to come."
The Delaware National Guard said in a Facebook post that Sasse spent Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, delivering meals to people in need in the First State.
Sasse, of Delmar, leaves behind her husband and three children.
