2 young men killed in Del. 9 crash; 1 owned towing company

Two Dover-area men were killed Monday night when a flatbed tow truck they were in slammed into a utility pole on Del. 9 north of Little Creek, state police said Tuesday.

The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m., north of North Little Creek Road (Del. 8), said Master Cpl. Gary Fournier.

The driver, 26-year-old Benjamin W. Hibbler, owner of AA Towing & Rollback Service, Inc., was pronounced dead at Bayhealth/Kent General Hospital.

His passenger, 23-year-old Michael J. Shahan, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jackie Slaughter, the towing company's secretary, said she had worked at the firm at 614 Main St. in Little Creek for 8 1/2 years. She said Hibbler took over the business in 2009 when his father died.

"He was a very private person...a good kid," she said. "He was a good boss and good to me. It hasn't sunken in yet. I'm still in shock."

Slaughter said she had spoken with Hibbler about an hour before the crash when he brought in a towed car, locked the gates and was headed home.

"The wreck was not even a mile away from the business," she said.

Hibbler was driving the 2001 Chevrolet truck north on Del. 9 (Bayside Drive) at high speed when he lost control while entering a left curve and the passenger side tires ran off the edge of the roadway, Fournier said.

The truck spun around and traveled across both lanes until it ran off the west side and struck a large metal pole with its passenger side door before coming to a stop.

Neither men were wearing seat belts, and both were partially ejected from the truck, Fournier said.

Fournier said speed and alcohol may have contributed to the crash.

Del. 9 was closed in the area for 3 1/2 hours while police investigated and the wreckage was cleared.

Michael J. Shahan's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

Contact Terri Sanginiti at (302) 324-2771 or tsanginiti@delawareonline.com

Contact News Delivery Editor Jon P. Zaimes at (302) 324-2813 or jzaimes@delawareonline.com.