DE Firefighter Dies after Being Struck on Highway

A young volunteer firefighter in Delaware died this past weekend after she was struck by a vehicle on an interstate while trying to assist another driver.

Delaware Online reports that Wilmington Manor firefighter Cecelia Escobar-Duplan, 25, was driving home early Sunday on I-95 in Wilmington after working a shift as a security guard when she came across a Jeep that had crashed.

Escobar-Duplan pulled over to assist, and while she was approaching the Jeep she was struck by a pickup truck that then crashed into the Jeep. Delaware State Police said the driver of the pickup "was unable to perceive the collision ahead due to lighting and weather conditions."

Escobar-Duplan was transported to Christiana Hospital, where she died from her injuries. The driver of the Jeep was treated at Wilmington Hospital and released. The condition of the pickup driver was not reported.

“Cecelia was a very enthusiastic and charismatic person that was continually improving her skills to grow in the Department and within her life and community," Wilmington Manor Fire Company President Ronald T. Hopkins said in a statement. “We are saddened by this loss, and are in contact with her family to provide any support while they deal with their grief.”

According to the fire company, Escobar-Duplan joined the agency in June 2018 as a probationary member and achieved full senior member status in June 2019. She was working as a security guard at West Chester University where she was also studying to obtain a criminal justice degree.