Man in stolen SUV shoots himself after police say he was pinned down near New Castle

A 34-year-old man driving a stolen SUV shot himself after investigators said police cornered him on a New Castle-area road Wednesday afternoon. 

The Statesboro, Georgia, man was reported to be stable Thursday morning.

"The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit is continuing to investigate the incident that occurred yesterday on Airport Road," Master Cpl. Gary Fournier said in a Thursday statement.  

The 34-year-old was later arrested, police said Thursday evening, with multiple charges including possession of a firearm, criminal mischief, stealing property, reckless endangering and resisting arrest. 

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The incident began when OnStar, an in-vehicle communications service, called Delaware officials on Wednesday to say they were tracking a 2018 GMC Terrain that had been stolen in Vidalia, Georgia, which is more than 80 miles west of Savanah. 

OnStar also said the Terrain was northbound on I-95 entering Delaware from Maryland. 

The compact SUV was spotted about 1:40 p.m. northbound on I-95 near Route 896, and troopers began following it. Fournier said troopers kept a safe distance because the operator was possibly carrying a weapon. 

At the same time, OnStar began to remotely slow the vehicle, which ended up stopping in the area near the Route 7 interchange. That's when troopers saw the driver – the SUV's only occupant – holding a gun.

Somehow, Fournier said, the driver was able to continue driving northbound on I-95 at about 5 mph, before taking the Airport Road off-ramp where a trooper had left a patrol vehicle across the northbound lanes just south of Route 141. The unoccupied police vehicle was left in an attempt to block the Terrain from continuing further.

The Terrain came to a stop when it collided with the unoccupied police cruiser.

Troopers began communicating with the driver, who could be seen holding a handgun.

A gunshot, coming from the Terrain, was heard about 2 p.m., Fournier said. Troopers continued communicating with the driver when they heard another gunshot inside the vehicle.

"Within 10 minutes of the second gunshot, the driver crawled out the passenger's side window, unarmed, and was taken into custody," Fournier said. "A search of the vehicle revealed a 9 mm pistol and two spent shell casings."

The driver was taken to Christiana Hospital where he was being treated for a single gunshot to his chest. 

Airport Road was closed for about four hours while detectives conducted their investigation and cleared the scene.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigative Unit by calling (302) 365-8467.  Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.