Sharlene Mansfield was the victim of an unfortunate deadly hit-and-run that took place this week in Hartford. The 55-year-old was struck and killed in the vicinity of 400 Hillside Ave. just before 12 p.m.
The driver fled the scene, but the car has been identified as a dark grey Hyundai Sonata with AU8835 plates. The police did not take long to find the vehicle, and it was recovered a day later at 240 Farmington Avenue. They apprehended one person, who was close to the car but still cannot confirm if they took any part in the hit-and-run.
Although the apprehended person has an active warrant, the car was abandoned at the time of the discovery. The police advised that further details would be disclosed when they checked the possible connection between the suspect and the vehicle.
For now, the car will be held as evidence and processed for any clues that could help the investigation.
According to Aaron Boisvert, a lieutenant in the Hartford Police, a dark-colored sedan was speeding through the southbound lane of the Hillside Avenue when it struck a pedestrian. This means that it was in the wrong lane, which makes the whole event more concerning.
The victim suffered fatal injuries and was taken to the hospital, but they gave in to the wounds around 2:30 p.m., less than two hours after the accident. The Hartford Hospital staff did their best to save the person, but the trauma was too heavy.
With regards to the severity of the crash, the car is pretty damaged in the front, and the windshield is shattered completely. According to the police, it was reported stolen on August 2, 2019, in Ellington.
The residents of Hartford are getting worried as they notice a lot of drivers speeding in the neighborhood — mostly down Hartford Avenue, claims Diane Llasser, who says she does not feel safe at all.
She is not the only one, as more and more locals find the roads to be dangerous for pedestrians. Most residents are used to walking to work, or when they run errands, so hit-and-runs seem particularly threatening.
Angela Mateo walks the Hillside frequently but does not find her walks pleasant anymore. As she told the reporters, the hit-and-run makes her feel uncomfortable, but she is also scared by a recent homicide.
Two weeks ago a man got killed in the same neighborhood with police still hunting for the unknown perpetrator. The community has been a bit under the weather, hoping that police will solve the cases quickly.
Boisvert has stated that accidents happen, especially on the busy intersection such as this one. He has also said that hit-and-runs are rare and that the events of the last two weeks are not typical for the Hartford area at all.
