Hartford

Conn. Police Arrest Suspect in Hit-and-Run That Killed Trinity College Student From Vt.

Memorial at the site of a hit-and-run crash that killed a Trinity College student in Hartford and the vehicle that police are looking for.
Hartford Police/NBC CT

Police in Hartford, Connecticut, have arrested a man who is suspected in the crash last year that killed a Trinity College student and injured two others.

The crash happened near the campus in Hartford on a Thursday night, March 31.

Twenty-year-old Jillian Hegarty, of Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, died from injuries, a 19-year-old Trinity student was left in critical condition after the crash and another 20-year-old Trinity College student sustained minor injuries, according to police.

The students were trying to cross New Britain Avenue at Henry Street just after 11:30 p.m. that night when they were struck by a gray Volkswagen Touareg and the driver fled and went east on New Britain Avenue, according to police.

Police said detectives from the Hartford Police Crime Scene Division were able to identify the operator and Karanja Thomas, 45, of Hartford, was taken into custody and he is being held on a $300,000 bond.

Thomas is being charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, assault in the 3rd degree, reckless endangerment in the 2nd degree, evading responsibility resulting in death, evading responsibility resulting in injury and operation of a motor vehicle under a suspended license.

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