Tractor trailer collison closes Delaware Rt. 896 & 40

     Early Thursday morning tractor trailer collision on southbound Rt. 896 near the intersection of Rt. 40.(John Jankowski for Newsworks)

    Early Thursday morning tractor trailer collision on southbound Rt. 896 near the intersection of Rt. 40.(John Jankowski for Newsworks)

    Delaware State Police say inattentive driving may have caused a Thursday morning crash in Newark involving two tractor trailers.

    The two vehicles crashed after 4 a.m. on southbound Rt. 896 near the intersection of Rt. 40.

    Police say before the crash James T. Williams, 57, of Goldsboro, NC, was traveling in the right hand lane of southbound Rt. 896, north of the Rt. 40 intersection. When he began to slow down, the rear of his vehicle was struck by the other tractor trailer operated by Javier Alvarez, 41, of Miami, Fla.

    Williams and Alvarez were properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to police. Police say Williams was not injured while Alvarez suffered minor injuries, but refused medical treatment.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Alvarez was cited with Inattentive Driving and No Proof of Motor Vehicle Insurance, according to police.

    The crashed closed the southbound lanes of Rt. 896 and the westbound lanes of Rt. 40 for more than five hours.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal