Eric Staley,Makayla Belton Obituary, Death; – Delaware State Police have identified two individuals who lost their lives in a head-on collision that occurred early Sunday north of Seaford.
The victims were Eric Staley, 22, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, and 18-year-old Makayla Belton from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. They were passengers in a 2016 Nissan Rogue that collided with a vehicle driven by a motorist traveling north in the southbound lanes of Sussex Highway (Route 13), according to police reports.
Staley occupied the front passenger seat of the Rogue, while Belton was seated in the rear. As per police accounts, the Rogue was traveling south in the left lane of Sussex Highway around 1:30 a.m., nearing Cannon Road. Simultaneously, a 24-year-old man from Georgetown was operating a 2005 Honda Pilot in the left lane heading north.
The two vehicles collided head-on, resulting in the immediate fatalities of Staley and Belton at the scene. The driver of the Rogue, a 22-year-old man from Washington D.C., along with an 18-year-old woman from Bethesda, Maryland, who was a rear-seat passenger, were transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.
The driver of the Pilot and his passenger, a 40-year-old man from Georgetown, were also taken to the hospital, with the driver sustaining serious injuries and the passenger in critical condition.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident. Witnesses are encouraged to reach out to investigators at (302) 703-3264. Information can also be submitted via a private message on Facebook to the Delaware State Police or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
