Police: Teen cited in crash that sparked fire at Del. daycare
A crash on South DuPont Highway in Camden, Del. sparked a fire at The Children's Place daycare and led to a 16-year-old being cited for inattentive driving, police said.
A teen was cited for traffic offenses in connection with a two-car crash that sparked a small fire inside a Camden, Del. daycare Saturday morning.
The crash occurred about 11:20 a.m. on South DuPont Highway just north of Voshells Mill Star Hill Road, according to a news release from the Delaware State Police.
A woman, 25, was driving a Volkswagen Jetta north on the highway when she was rear-ended by a 16-year-old male driving a Nissan Rogue directly behind her, police said.
The Nissan then swerved off the east shoulder of the highway and struck a utility pole, snapping it in half.
As members of the Camden-Wyoming Fire Company responded to the crash, they heard a fire alarm coming from The Children's Place childcare center located at 3377 S. DuPont Highway, police said.
Firefighters forced entry into the facility, followed smoke to a classroom, and quickly extinguished a small fire there, according to investigators.
Preliminary information indicated a power surge from the broken utility pole likely sparked the blaze, police said.
Traffic lights throughout the Camden area were out for about an hour as electrical crews worked to restore power.
Both drivers were treated at Kent General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and released. Their identities were not disclosed.
The 16-year-old was cited with inattentive driving and failure to have insurance in his possession, police said.
The Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office was continuing to investigate Sunday.