NEW FOR TUESDAY: Local Man On Mend After Scooter Accident

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Local Man On Mend After Scooter Accident
Quilter

OCEAN CITY — A popular local man is on the mend this week after suffering critical injuries when struck by a vehicle on Coastal Highway while riding a scooter last Friday afternoon.

Around 2:45 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police responded to the area of 45th Street and Coastal Highway for a reported motor vehicle accident involving a scooter. When officers arrived on the scene, they observed the operator of the scooter, later identified as long-time city employee and local youth lacrosse coach Dave Quilter, unconscious in the roadway.

The preliminary investigation revealed a Cadillac passenger vehicle had attempted to make a left turn from the northbound turn lane through stopped traffic into the 45th Street Village. The driver of the vehicle, identified as James T. Carrollton, 23, of Toms River, N.J., made a left turn and failed to yield the right-of-way to the scooter operator, who was traveling south in the bus lane. Carrollton was issued a citation for failing to yield the right-of-way on a left turn.

Quilter was flown by Delaware State Police helicopter to PRMC for treatment of serious injuries. After spending a few days in critical condition, Quilter appears to be on the mend with positive updates posted by family members on social networks.

As of Tuesday morning, Quilter had been taken off a ventilator and was sitting up and talking although he remains in the Intensive Care Unit and likely will through the week at least, according to family members. Meanwhile, an outpouring of prayers and well-wishes continue to flow from the community.

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Rick Meehan called on his colleagues and those in attendance to keep Quilter in their thoughts and prayers.

“I would also like to report to the council, we had a city employee that was in a tragic accident last week, David Quilter, who works for our Public Works Maintenance Department,” he said. “David is a great guy. He has been in Ocean for a long time and is a former Ocean City business person.”

Meehan outlined a few details about the accident and Quilter’s progress during the meeting.

“He was in a very tragic and serious accident while riding his moped home from work on Friday and I would like to report, all things considered, David is doing very well, and hopefully he is going to be okay, but he really suffered some traumatic injuries so we all have our thoughts and prayers with David as well,” he said.