Off-duty Del. firefighter dies after being struck while helping crash victim

By Rachel Engel

WILMINGTON, Del. — An off-duty firefighter was killed after being hit by a car during a rescue attempt on the highway.

Cecilia Escobar-Duplan was driving on I-95 when she came across a one-vehicle car crash, Delaware Online reported. She was assisting the driver of the car when a pickup truck hit her, and then the crashed vehicle.

According to police, the driver was “unable to perceive the collision ahead due to lighting and weather conditions."

Escobar-Duplan was transported to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The 25-year-old had been a member of the Wilmington Manor Fire Company since 2018, with plans to begin EMT training in the fall, the department said, and was “actively riding the ambulance as an apprentice.”

Escobar-Duplan also worked as a security guard at West Chester University while studying for a degree in criminal justice.

Wilmington Manor Fire Company President Ronald Hopkins said Escobar-Duplan was “a very enthusiastic and charismatic person” who was always looking to grow her skills.

“We are saddened by this loss, and are in contact with her family to provide any support while they deal with their grief,” Hopkins said.