DDN – A Newark man is in jail, accused of driving intoxicated and triggering a crash that killed a local youth hockey coach and injured the coach’s adolescent son.
The incident occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Del. 896 and U.S. 40 in Glasgow, according to Delaware State Police.
Fidel Villatoro-Martinez, 28, was driving a Chevrolet Express van west on US-40. He ran a red light and crashed with a Dodge Ram pickup truck driving south on Del. 896, according to authorities.
The truck driver, 51-year-old David Funk of Centreville, Maryland, was gravely hurt and died in the hospital the next day. His 16-year-old son sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Funk was a coach for the Delaware Ducks Hockey Club, which is situated at the Patriot Ice Center in Newark. He was also affiliated with the Eastern Shore Hockey Association in Easton, Maryland.
“He was a father, husband, friend, and coach,” the Delaware Ducks said in their statement. “This season, he coached our Ducks 10B squad and also worked with the 18U and Lady Ducks. He was a beloved part of our hockey family and will be deeply missed. “Please keep his family in your thoughts.”
Troopers discovered six containers of alcohol in Villatoro-Martinez’s van and detected alcohol on his breath, authorities said.
Villatoro-Martinez was treated at the hospital for his injuries before being charged with first- and second-degree vehicular assault, DUI, driving without a license, failure to stop at a red light, and other traffic crimes. He was detained after failing to post a $3,500 secured bond.
After Funk’s death, police claimed that additional charges were pending.
Troopers are requesting anybody who observed the crash to contact Master Cpl. R. Kunicki at 302-365-8417. For more information, call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333 or delaware.crimestoppers.com.
Reference: Newark man charged in DUI crash that killed local hockey coach
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