Fatal Hit-And-Run In Montco Ends With Felony Guilty Plea: Reports

NORRISTOWN, PA — A city man who left the scene of a fatal Montgomery County accident two years ago in which a pedestrian was struck and killed has pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from the incident.

Terrell Kirby Russell, 27, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to a single count of accidents involving death or personal injury in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that took place in Cheltenham Township back in the fall of 2020, according to a report in the Mercury newspaper.

Patch checked court records for the case, but the criminal docket sheet was not yet updated to reflect the reported guilty plea by the time of the publication of this story.

Patch reported on the case two years ago when Russell was arrested.

Related: Man Charged In Cheltenham Hit And Run That Left 30-Year-Old Dead

Montgomery County prosecutors and the Cheltenham Township Police Department first announced charges against Russell in October 2020.

The District Attorney's Office said 30-year-old Shanna Hurdle was found lying in the westbound left-turn lane of Cheltenham Avenue, on the border with the City of Philadelphia, on Sept. 27, 2020, at around 8:12 p.m.

Cheltenham Avenue is the dividing line between Montgomery County and Philadelphia, and the accident took place on the Montgomery County side.

Hurdle was struck by a vehicle driven by Russell while the victim was standing in the center-left turn lane, prosecutors previously stated.

After being struck she was thrown about 152 feet, and then run over the vehicle.

Investigators ultimately traced the striking vehicle back to Russell, who had earlier rented the GMC Acadia.

Video footage from the alley behind Russell's Philadelphia home showed him walking around the vehicle after getting home and using a light to inspect the area of the damage to the vehicle, prosecutors said.

Police also had evidence that showed Russell tried to get the vehicle fixed following the accident.

Court records show a guilty plea hearing had been scheduled before Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Rogers on Oct. 24.

Records show a jury trial had initially been scheduled but was subsequently cancelled when it became clear that Russell would be pleading guilty.

The Mercury reported that Rogers, who accepted the plea in the case, sentenced Russell to 2 to 4 years in state prison. Russell was reportedly ordered to surrender to prison officials on Nov. 28 to begin his sentence.

The paper quoted Russell in open court as saying that he was sorry for his actions, and that "not a day ... goes past that I don't think about that situation. I'm truly sorry."

Hurdle reportedly would have turned 33 years old next week.

Court records show that Russell was originally facing additional counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, which is a misdemeanor, as well as three summary citations.

Those additional charges were dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea on the felony count.