Driver in crash that destroyed Ed’s Chicken in Dewey pleads guilty
A Camden-Wyoming woman has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges for crashing her car into Ed’s Chicken and Crabs in Dewey Beach in August.
Michelle Small, 36, faces a maximum of two years in prison after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated and criminal mischief. The DUI charges are considered a first offense. When asked by Delaware Superior Court Judge E. Scott Bradley if she committed the offenses, Small answered yes.
In addition to possible jail time, Small faces fines of $1,500 for the DUI charge and $2,300 for criminal mischief. She will also lose her driver’s license and have to re-enroll in driver’s education to drive again. Small also faces restitution costs that could exceed $5,000.
On Aug. 9, Small crossed a median and crashed her 2013 Mini Cooper into Ed’s, causing a fire that burned down the popular eatery. Police said the crash severed a propane line, which led to the fire. Small was pulled out of the car by Dewey Beach police officers before the building burned, and she was treated and released from Beebe Heathcare with minor injuries.
Ed’s has not reopened since the crash.
Bradley set a sentencing date of Friday, May 26, pending a pre-sentence investigation. Small’s attorney, Eric Mooney, said he did not wish to comment on the case until after the sentencing.
