courtesy of Morning Sun news
An Alma man has been arraigned on various charges related to a hit-and-run on Aug. 17 that killed a local nun.
Justin Fell, 33, from Alma, was arraigned Tuesday in the 65B District Court at the Gratiot County Courthouse in Ithaca by Judge Stewart Mcdonald.
He was arraigned on the following charges:
• failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault and/or causing death. An examination was granted for this charge;
• evidence tampering in a criminal case;
• evidence tampering;
• failure to stop or identify after a personal injury accident; and
• a moving violation causing death.
The criminal complaint announcing the charges was done Monday by county chief prosecutor Keith Kushion.
Fell is charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash early on the morning of Aug. 17 that killed Sister Joseph Marie Ruessman, RSM, of the Religious Sisters of Mercy in Alma.
She was riding her bicycle just after 7 a.m. at the intersection of Williams Street and Michigan Avenuewhen the crash occurred, and died later that night due to her injuries.
On Friday, Alma Police Det. Jason Biehl said police were led to a suspect via a tip about a report being sent in by the suspect to the Gratiot County Sheriff’s Office that his vehicle was involved in a car-deer accident on the same day as the fatal crash. The tip was received in the afternoon of the day of the crash.
Police later discovered this report was made to the Gratiot County Sheriff’s Office and, after reviewing video footage of the vehicle from a deputy’s body cam, found the break on a bug guard was consistent with a piece of a bug guard collected at the scene.
This information, along with other evidence collected, led police to being able to obtain search warrants for the vehicle, which police seized, and other evidence.
A person recognizance bond was set at $50,000 and he was released, according to court records.
Fell is being represented by court-appointed attorney Zackary Everitt.
He is scheduled for a probable cause conference, both at 10 a.m. on Sept. 5 and a preliminary examination at 2 p.m. on Sept. 12, both in the district court.
