ELSMERE, DE — A Wilmington resident, 38-year-old Craig Speakman, has been arrested and faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following a vehicle pursuit associated with an investigation into illegal drug sales. The arrest, conducted by the New Castle County Police Mobile Enforcement Team, took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a Honda Civic driven by Speakman on Locust Avenue in Elsmere during their investigation of suspected illegal drug distribution. Speakman allegedly ignored the officers’ directive and fled the scene, sparking a pursuit. During the chase, Speakman collided with several vehicles, including a parked Nissan Sentra and a fully marked New Castle County Police Tahoe. According to police, despite these collisions, Speakman continued his attempt to evade law enforcement.
While fleeing on Dover Avenue, Speakman encountered a school bus that had stopped with its safety equipment activated, and children were reportedly exiting the vehicle. Police allege that Speakman drove onto the sidewalk to bypass the bus and avoid stopping. The pursuit ended shortly after on Sanders Road, where Speakman drove through a business parking lot and crashed into a parked vehicle occupied by a 40-year-old man. Officers managed to apprehend Speakman at the scene.
Fortunately, neither Speakman nor any officers involved sustained injuries during the incident. Police confirmed that the occupant of the parked vehicle suffered minor injuries, which were treated on-site.
A subsequent investigation at the scene, led by the Division’s Traffic Services Unit, uncovered narcotics and evidence consistent with drug distribution. According to authorities, officers recovered 32 MDMA pills (commonly known as ecstasy), 243 grams of marijuana, four amphetamine/dextroamphetamine pills, as well as packaging materials.
Speakman was transported to the New Castle County Police headquarters, where he was formally charged with multiple offenses, including but not limited to the following:
- Two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance
- One felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, Tier 2
- One felony count of possession of a controlled substance, Tier 1
- One felony count of disregarding a police officer signal
- Various misdemeanor charges including vehicular assault (third degree), reckless driving, and passing a stopped school bus
Speakman was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11. Due to failure to pay $26,500 cash bail, he was committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution pending further proceedings.
Authorities emphasize that all charges are at this stage allegations, and Speakman is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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