‘Our community is hurting’: UDel mourns death of grad student killed by man trying to evade police

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A Delaware man is facing murder charges the day after police said he crashed his stolen van into eight University of Delaware students, killing one, while trying to evade police.

Gordon Turner, 22, of New Castle, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of felony murder, first-degree felony assault, disregarding a police officer’s direction and possession of marijuana exceeding the amount for personal use. He remains in prison on a $305,500 cash bond.

According to Newark Police, Turner struck two 24-year-old UD graduate students who were walking on the north side of East Main Street with a stolen U-Haul van around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. One of the students died at the scene. Her identity has not been released at this time. The other pedestrian is in stable condition at a local hospital.

Police said that a handgun was also found when officers searched the van. Turner also has warrants from Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Calling it a “gut-wrenching crime,” Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said more charges were likely as the investigation moves forward.

“Let’s be clear, a student was murdered during an attempt by the defendant to evade a simple traffic stop by law enforcement,” she said. “These students were not in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

José-Luis Riera, UD vice president for Student Life, said the university community was hurting.

“We’ve lost an incredibly bright individual who is doing incredible work at the university,” he said. “And that is true of the peers injured as well.”

Newark Police say they were alerted to the presence of the empty U-Haul van on the 200 block of East Main Street around 3:39 p.m. Tuesday. The van was supposed to be returned to a rental facility March 18. When Turner and the passenger approached the van, police say officers tried to arrest them, but the two fled in the van at a high rate of speed after driving over a curb and hitting a police vehicle. The police department said officers did not pursue them.

Police said the U-Haul continued westbound on East Main Street at a high rate of speed, hitting the two pedestrians who were alongside a parked vehicle and then striking multiple parked vehicles before becoming disabled, injuring four people in a car and a third pedestrian.

Riera said the UD community is also calling for better traffic safety infrastructure along Main Street, a vibrant area filled with shopping, dining and student housing in downtown Newark adjacent to campus.

Newark Mayor Travis McDermott said Wednesday the city, UD and the Delaware Department of Transportation are planning to hold a joint meeting to address potential safety improvements for Main Street. In August, a UD freshman walking on Main Street was killed by a man on a motorcycle fleeing police. In October, another UD student on Main Street was injured when hit by a driver trying to evade law enforcement.

Editor’s note: The story has been updated to reflect the correct number of students injured in the crash. The original number provided by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office was inaccurate.

This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.