Murder charges for motorcycle driver who struck, killed University of Delaware freshman in crosswalk

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 27-year-old man has been charged with murder in a deadly motorcycle crash that killed a first-year student at the University of Delaware .

Noelia Gomez, 18, of Clark, New Jersey, was struck Tuesday night on East Main Street in Newark, Delaware. The freshman was killed just as the new semester was getting underway.

Newark police said a university officer tried to pull over Brian Briddle, of Newark, for a traffic offense. However, police said Briddle failed to stop and sped away on his motorcycle — striking Gomez in the crosswalk.

Officials said Briddle fell off his bike but it continued moving on the sidewalk, striking four other people. Briddle and one pedestrian were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Gomez died at the scene. The other pedestrians had minor injuries.

On Friday, police announced charges against Briddle, including second-degree murder, disregarding a police officer’s signal, failure to stop at a red light, and related gun and vehicle offenses .

He is being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.