It was the kind of afternoon you never expect to end in tragedy. Just before 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, traffic was slowing along the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 1—also known as Coastal Highway—just south of Hudson Road, near Lewes, Delaware. That’s when a heavy dump truck failed to stop, slammed into a slowed-or-stopped passenger car, and unleashed devastation.
The chain-reaction crash began when a southbound Peterbilt dump truck, travelling in the right lane, failed to slow for traffic ahead and struck the rear of a Ford Edge. Investigators say the impact caused that Ford to barrel into a lineup of vehicles ahead: a Nissan Altima, a BMW X2, and a BMW 135.
Inside the Ford were two Maryland residents whose lives ended that afternoon. Police have identified the driver as 62-year-old Charlene Broccolo and the passenger as 64-year-old Albert Broccolo—both of Bel Air, Maryland. Charlene was taken to a local hospital where she later died; Albert was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other vehicles’ occupants fared comparatively better, though their afternoon plans no doubt changed forever. The Nissan’s 57-year-old Millsboro, Delaware driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The BMW X2’s driver, a 75-year-old woman from Milton, Delaware, was likewise treated. The Peterbilt driver—a 27-year-old man from Wilmington, Delaware—was also taken for treatment; the BMW 135’s driver, a 74-year-old man from Lewes, declined treatment at the scene.
As emergency crews swarmed the scene, traffic along that stretch of Coastal Highway ground to a halt. The roadway was shut down for around five hours as the Delaware State Police’s Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit catalogued the wreckage, measured skid marks, collected witness statements and pieced together what happened.
Neighbors and friends describe the Broccolo family as warm, community-oriented, and full of life—a reminder that behind the statistics are real people with stories, laughter and relationships. The abruptness of their loss has rippled through Bel Air and beyond. Meanwhile, motorists in the area are once again being reminded of how quickly a routine drive can turn tragic. Troopers say the initial slowing of traffic may have played a role as the dump truck failed to adjust speed in time.
Investigators have not yet announced whether any criminal charges will follow the ongoing reconstruction. The Maryland couple’s circle has been left reeling, while law-enforcement continues to ask anyone who saw the crash, took video of the roadway just before impact, or witnessed the dump truck’s approach to contact the dsp tip line. The hope: to piece together a fuller picture, and to help prevent another quiet afternoon drive becoming something far worse.
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