Middletown woman victim of carjacking in Bear

April 21--Delaware State Police are investigating a carjacking that took place after an intentional vehicle collision involving a victim from Middletown.

The incident occurred Wednesday, April 18 at about 9:31 p.m., on Red Lion Road (Route 71) near Old Summit Road, Bear.

A 30-year-old Middletown woman was driving east on Red Lion Road at the posted speed limit when she saw a vehicle approach from behind at a higher rate of speed.

As the victim's vehicle continued moving forward, without slowing or braking, it was struck from behind by the trailing vehicle.

After the collision, the victim pulled on to the shoulder of the road, and so did the striking vehicle.

Both drivers exited their vehicles and the victim began to inspect the damage to her vehicle.

The suspect walked past the victim without speaking, then entered her vehicle and drove off.

A second suspect, who was a passenger in the striking vehicle, then moved to the driver's seat of the striking vehicle and also drove off.

The victim's vehicle was recovered in Philadelphia later the same night.

The first suspect could only be described as a male, 6-feet tall, about 180 pounds, wearing all dark clothing. The second suspect could only be described as a male.

The suspects' vehicle was described as a dark, four-door vehicle.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION

While staged car crashes are typically carefully planned and are primarily related to insurance fraud, similar tactics may be used to commit vehicle theft, police said.

If you are involved in a motor vehicle collision immediately call 911 to initiate a police response. If you are alone or in an isolated area, trust your gut instincts and remain in your secured vehicle if possible, to wait for the police to arrive.

If you fear for your safety, stay on the line with the 911 operator to keep them apprised of the situation as well as your current location, if it is necessary to move from the original scene.

In addition to the tactic used in this incident, described below are other common schemes used to stage a motor vehicle crash.

The T-Bone Accident: In this scenario, a scam artist will wait for your car to proceed through an intersection and then jam the gas pedal and T-bone your vehicle. When the police arrive, phony witnesses, also known as "shady helpers," will then claim you were the one who ran the stop sign or traffic signal.

The Wave: In this scam, the other driver will notice your attempt to switch lanes and subsequently wave you ahead. As you attempt to maneuver into the lane, he will accelerate, causing a collision with your car. When the police arrive, he will deny ever providing a courtesy wave, placing you at fault.

Dual Turn Sideswipe: A driver in the outer lane of the dual turn rams into you if you go even the slightest bit out of the inner lane as the two of you are making your turns. They may also drive a bit into your lane and swipe your car and then blame you. "Witnesses" working with the con artist may corroborate his story.

Brake Slam: This simple scam involves the driver in front of you slamming on their brakes for no reason so that you cannot avoid rear-ending his or her vehicle.

Swoop and Stop: In this scenario, a car will suddenly pull in front of yours and stop. Another vehicle will simultaneously pull up alongside your car, preventing you from swerving to avoid an accident.

The investigation into this intentional collision and vehicle theft is continuing. Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact the Troop 2 Robbery Unit at 1-302-365-8566 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

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