Donald B. McElrath Jr., 17, of 117 Congress St., Port Penn, died after his car collided with a tanker truck.

He was a senior at William Penn High School.

He was an active firefighter and ambulance attendant with the Port Penn Volunteer Fire Company.

He is survived by his parents, Donald B. Sr. and Lea R. McElrath, with whom he lived; a sister, Jamie R., at home; his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray C. McElrath of Swannanoa, N.C.; and his maternal grandmother, Helen L. Roberts of St. Georges.

Contributions can be made in Donnie's memory to Port Penn Volunteer Fire Company.

If you have any memories you would like to share, please post a comment below. You should all remember how much Donnie's death affected the school. What a terrible time that was!

The following are from newspaper articles about the accident:

Segments of the article "Eight Killed in Flurry of Highway Accidents":

In 7.5 hours Friday night and Saturday, seven traffic accidents in Delaware led to the deaths of eight people. It was the deadliest night on the highways so far this year....

Donald B. McElrath Jr., 17, was driving home to Port Penn, down east on Delaware 72 toward Delaware City. At about 12:20 a.m., a westbound car driven by William B. Hardin, 23, of the 100 block of Llangollen Boulevard, Llangollen Estates, pulled out to pass a tanker truck pulling out of the Texaco Refinery.

"The truck had just pulled out of the Texaco plant," State police Cpl. Gerald R. Pepper said, "when Hardin came out from behind it and whipped out to pass in a no-passing zone. McElrath was right in front of him."

Pepper said the two cars then collided with the tanker, but the truck driver, William H. Davis Sr., 53, of the 1000 block of West Seventh Street, was not hurt. He said the tanker was damaged, but no leaks resulted.

McElrath, of the 100 block of Congress Street in Port Penn, was taken to Christiana Hospital. He died of multiple injuries Saturday afternoon. Hardin was in critical condition Saturday. No charges have been filed yet, Pepper said.

--

"Drunken Driver to Serve 7 Years for Crash That Killed Youth"

It looked more like a funeral than a Superior Court sentencing.

On the right side of the courtroom, about 50 friends and family members of Donald B. McElrath Jr. sat, waiting for the drunken driver who killed him to be sentenced.

In the front row were seven uniformed members of the Port Penn Fire Company honor guard. They were friends of McElrath, who served beside them as a firefighter and ambulance attendant.

On the left side, at the defense table, was William B. Hardin. Hardin, 24, was the driver of a car that collided head-on with McElrath's on Oct. 17 on Cox Neck Road near Delaware City. Blood tests showed that Hardin was drunk.

McElrath, 17, of Port Penn, died that afternoon in Christiana Hospital, near Stanton. Hardin was hospitalized.

On Tuesday, Hardin was sentenced to seven years in prison for first-degree vehicular homicide.

Lea R. McElrath, the victim's mother, spoke briefly to the court before Judge John E. Babiarz Jr. passed sentence.

"It's hard to express the pain and rage we feel," she said in a choked voice. "We lost so much. All parents look forward to the senior prom, graduation, college and a wedding, and eventually grandsons to pass on the family name." She paused, wiping her eyes.

"We miss him so much. We will never again be truly happy." Hardin's "drinking and driving, his irresponsible actions, killed our son," she said, and asked Babiarz to impose a severe sentence.

"This outrageous form of murder must be stopped," she said.

There was a short silence. Then Babiarz spoke: "Your loss is every parent's nightmare, and you have my sympathy."

Hardin was dressed in blue jeans and a green dress jacket, his blond hair in a shag cut. He stared straight ahead during Lea McElrath's plea. His attorney, Joseph A. Hurley, spoke.

"If I was standing where that lady is standing, I would have to use every bit of self-control not to go over that table and go at the throat of Mr. Hardin," he said. "But he is a very lonely young man now. He has done something he will have to live with for the rest of his life."

Deputy Attorney General Keith A. Trostle pointed out that Hardin had a .21 percent blood-alcohol content after the accident "and basically no memory of what happened." A person with a blood-alcohol level of .10 percent is considered legally drunk in Delaware.

He said it was his duty to society to ask for at least five years' incarceration for Hardin.

Hardin stood. "I have two kids, and if anything were to happen to them, I'd die, too," he said. "To everybody I hurt, I'm sorry, and I'm ready to serve my sentence."

Babiarz looked at him. "It's ironic that you refer to your kids," he said. "According to the report of the accident, you were on your way to pick up your kids, and you were .21 percent."

He sentenced Hardin to 10 years in prison, suspended for probation after seven years.

Hardin was taken away and handcuffed while the friends and family of Donnie McElrath filed out. Many were crying and hugging each other.

Chief Wayne Riale of Port Penn Fire Company was near tears. "Time won't bring Donnie back," he said. "We can only hope that the court starts showing that we can't condone people like that."