new york:
A 41-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the hit-and-run death of an Indian student in Connecticut last year.
Jill Augeri was arrested on Nov. 18 in connection with the October 2023 death of Priyanshu Agwal, 23, an international student at the University of New Haven.
She has been charged with one count of negligent homicide resulting in death, the Hartford Courant reported.
Agwal was just a few months away from graduating from graduate school and looking for a job when he was killed in a hit-and-run incident, the report added.
New Haven Police Department announced at a press conference Monday the arrest of the driver suspected of being involved in the incident.
At a press conference, Agwal's older brother Aman spoke about how much he had missed him every day for the past year since the accident.
“I just want to say that I miss my brother every day,” he said. According to reports, he still dreams about his brother. He said he was torn between good memories of his brother and feelings of guilt.
Aman said the driver did not stop after the collision. “She didn't try to stop and I feel like that led to major injuries,” he said.
The Courant's report quotes New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker as saying that Priyanshu Agwal's family described him as a man with a “big smile” and a “sociable, charismatic personality” that made him popular with many people. He said that he had made new friends.
Ecker said he was “loved by many” and “had his whole life ahead of him,” and was applying for jobs at the time of his death and had “big dreams” of living in the United States. he added.
Elicker added that “Priyanshu Agwal and his family's decision to donate their hearts helped save the lives of others.”
“And that heart is now beating inside someone else's body,” Elicker said. “So even though he lost his life, part of his life is giving life to someone today and we are grateful for that.” New Haven Police Chief Karl. Jacobson said authorities at the time didn't have enough evidence to charge Augelli and “had to work to get her to sit behind the driver's seat at the time of the crash.”
Police said this included obtaining GPS data from her cell phone company that showed she was “in the vicinity” of the crash, The Courant reported. Forensic tests also reportedly showed that Agwal's DNA was found in Augelli's car.
According to police, Agwal was driving an electric scooter at around 11pm on October 18, 2023, when he entered an intersection and was hit by a car. The driver did not stop and continued on his way, according to the report.
Agwal was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about a week later.
The next day, investigators found the car involved in the accident in Naugatuck. Investigators discovered Augelli was the registered owner of the vehicle, police said in the report.
Augelli remains free on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on Tuesday.
Priyanshu Agwal, 23, came to the United States in 2022 from Deoli, Rajasthan, to pursue a master's degree in business analysis, according to the University of New Haven. He worked as a business analyst intern at an IT company.
Elicker said he hopes Priyanshu Agwal's story helps emphasize the importance of safe driving and the critical need to stop and help when an accident occurs. “If you flee, we will track you down and hold you accountable,” Elicker said in the report.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
