Connecticut

Teen Faces Manslaughter Charge in Hit-and-Run Crash that Killed Hartford Woman

A teenager faces a manslaughter charge after a hit-and-run crash on July 18 that killed a Hartford woman.

Family members said 56-year-old Rosella Shuler died Saturday night. Shuler lost both of her legs when she was hit by Toyota Highlander full of teenagers while she was standing on the sidewalk on Ashley Street in Hartford. A man who was standing on the sidewalk was also hurt.

Shuler’s death was ruled a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Police believe six teens were in the Toyota, which was stolen out of West Hartford, but they all fled the scene of the crash. Through surveillance video police identified the person behind the wheel as 18-year-old Deykevious Russaw.

Russaw was already behind bars on an unrelated case. Because he was juvenile at the time, police will not release the circumstances surrounding that arrest.

But a source close to the investigation said he was one of two teens arrested for the shooting death of 63-year-old Jeffrey Worrel of Hartford on July 16 in the Westland Street area. He faces a murder charge in that case.

Russaw was originally charged with first-degree assault, second-degree larceny, evading responsibility, reckless driving and operating without a license for the crash. Police said a new arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree larceny, evading the scene of an accident, reckless driving, and operating a motor vehicle without a license. He was assigned a $1.5 million bond.

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