Police ID driver of U-Haul truck accused of killing Delaware student, injuring 8 other people

Officials identified the driver of a U-Haul truck accused of killing a University of Delaware student and injuring eight other people in a chain-reaction crash in Newark, Delaware, on Tuesday.

Officials identified the driver of a U-Haul truck accused of killing a University of Delaware student and injuring eight other people in a chain-reaction crash in Newark, Delaware, on Tuesday.

Gordon Turner, 22, of New Castle, Delaware, was arrested and charged with murder — death caused during commission of a felony, murder — reckless conduct showing indifference to human life, assault — conduct creating risk of death or serious injury, disregarding a police officer’s signal and possession/consumption of marijuana in excess of personal use quantity.

The incident began on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, around 3:50 p.m. when Newark Police located an unoccupied U-Haul van that had been reported as an unauthorized use vehicle that should have been returned on March 18, 2025. The van was parked in a shopping center on the 200 block of East Main Street.

At 4:34 p.m., Turner and a passenger returned to the van and police moved in to arrest them, officials said. Turner then allegedly got into the vehicle and drove over a curb, striking a police vehicle before fleeing onto East Main Street at a high speed.

Officials said the officers did not pursue. Instead, they remained within the shopping center as Turner sped onto East Main Street, according to investigators.