(New Castle, DE 19720) – On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at approximately 5:17 p.m., an officer with the New Castle County Division of Police located a gray BMW 525 stopped in the roadway at the intersection of North DuPont Highway and West Lincoln Avenue in New Castle.
Officers contacted the driver, later identified as 50-year-old Idris Thomas of New Castle, to check on his well-being and determine if he needed roadside assistance. During the interaction, Thomas appeared disoriented and stated, “DUI.” When asked if he was intoxicated, he responded, “Yes.” He also told another officer that he had used PCP (phencyclidine) earlier in the day.
Throughout the encounter, officers continued to observe signs of impairment and later located a THC cannabis container with a marijuana cigarette inside the vehicle.
A records check revealed that Thomas has six prior DUI convictions, along with one additional DUI charge pending from 2019.
Thomas was taken into custody and transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where he was charged with:
- One felony count of DUI (7th offense, after six prior convictions)
- One misdemeanor count of driving while suspended or revoked
- One citation for stopping or leaving a vehicle standing on a roadway
Thomas was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $5,101 cash bail.
Idris Thomas – 50