NEWPORT, DE — A Wilmington man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following an early morning crash in Newport that damaged two police vehicles and allegedly placed officers in harm’s way during an active accident investigation.
According to the New Castle County Division of Police, the incident occurred around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 20, 2025. A New Castle County officer, traveling southbound on Route 141 near East Ayre Street, came upon a Newport Police officer who was already on the scene of a separate collision. The county officer pulled in behind the Newport cruiser and activated his emergency lights to enhance visibility and provide a safety buffer.
A second New Castle County officer arrived minutes later, also positioning his fully marked Tahoe behind the first vehicle and activating emergency lights to further secure the scene.
While all three officers stood outside their vehicles waiting for a tow truck, authorities say a white GMC Yukon driven by 40-year-old Francisco Santos allegedly slammed into the rear of the first New Castle County Tahoe, triggering a chain-reaction crash that pushed the vehicle into the second police SUV.
Santos was immediately taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and was later released into police custody.
No officers were injured during the incident.
Following his release from the hospital, Santos was transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where he was formally charged with the following offenses:
- Three felony counts of first-degree reckless endangerment
- One felony count of criminal mischief for property damage exceeding $5,000
- One misdemeanor count of criminal mischief for property damage over $1,000
- Misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, DUI, driving while suspended or revoked, operation of an unregistered motor vehicle, careless driving, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and failure to drive at a speed appropriate for conditions
Santos was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $18,700 secured bail.
As with all criminal cases, it is important to remember that a suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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