Police arrest 17-year-old driver of the car that hit, killed UC student from Moraine

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police have arrested the 17-year-old driver of the car that hit UC students Cayden Turner and Namiya Russell on Wednesday, killing Turner and seriously injuring Russell.

The police department traffic division issued an update stating that the driver, who has not been identified by name, is being charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and several other felonies.

Turner and Russell were crossing Jefferson Avenue, from east to west, in a marked crosswalk when they were hit by 2014 Honda CR-V whose driver disregarded a red light as the vehicle headed north on Jefferson at high speed, according to the traffic unit.

The vehicle continued, hit a tree and came to rest on West Martin Luther King Drive. The driver ran, heading east on King Drive, according to police who were searching for that person Thursday night.

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Turner was pronounced dead on the scene ; Russell was taken to an area hospital where police said she was last listed as being in stable condition.

Excessive speed is a factor in the crash, the traffic unit has concluded, but impairment as a factor as yet to be determined.

Russell and Turner were roommates and 2022 graduates of Chaminade Julienne, Turner’s mother told News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis.

Wednesday night, members of UC’s Urbanism Club stood on Jefferson Avenue in protest for increased street safety. They rang bicycle bells, flashed bicycle lights and waved signs that read “End Vehicular Violence” and “One Death is Too Many,” The News Record, the independent newspaper published by UC students, reported.

Thursday, the newspaper reported that the UC community was continuing to come together to mourn Turner and Russell.

We will continue to update this developing report as we learn more.

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