Principal killed in Delaware Car Accident. Community mourns the loss of “enthusiastic and caring” leader.
The 42- year old principal of a Milford middle school, Dr. Tricia Martin, has been killed in a Delaware car accident. Dr. Martin was principal of Milford Central Academy, which has over 1,000 students in 6th through 8th grade.
“Our entire district is mourning her death. Dr. Martin was an admired and respected member of our staff. She had the difficult task of running a school of approximately 1040 students, but did so with enthusiasm and caring,” said Milford School District superintendent Dr. Phyllis Kohel. “The students and staff at Central Academy as well as everyone in our district will miss her terribly.” The Milford community is keeping in their thoughts Martin’s 10-year-old daughter, who was critically injured in the Delaware car accident.
Dr. Martin was travelling on Barrett’s Chapel Road when, for unknown reasons, she crossed the center line and exited the roadway where it drove along the ditch line before hitting a telephone box and fence. The car overturned into the roadway after striking an embankment. Dr. Martin was inside the vehicle, while her daughter got out to seek assistance from passing motorists. A vehicle, driven by Richard Triola of Magnolia, was traveling eastbound when it struck Dr. Martin’s vehicle. Taryn was hit by one of the vehicles and thrown on the grass, while Dr. Martin was ejected from the car. She as flown to Christiana Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Police state in addition to Martin’s death in the Delaware car accident, three others were also killed in Delaware separate Delaware car accidents this weekend from Friday night into early Saturday morning.
“It is simply unbelievable,” said Renate Wiley, a member of Milford’s Board of Education. “It is so sad to lose someone so young, and our sympathies are with the family at this tragic time.” Dr. Kohel said that counselors will be at the school on Monday for students who need assistance in dealing with Dr. Martin’s death. “It is heartbreaking to think of her mother losing her husband, only daughter and only grandchild so close together,” Dr. Kohel said. “There are no words to express how difficult this loss is for our district, but the grief the Martin family is experiencing must be unbearable.”