Photo: Chillandra Bell
A 26-year-old woman from Victorville has been arrested for a hit and run in Huntington Beach, leaving one woman dead.
The incident took place at about 8pm on Sunday, July 25, 2021. According to preliminary investigation, suspect Chillandra Bell was driving a Nissan Altima northbound Pacific Coast Highway and ran a red light, hitting two pedestrians in the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Newland Avenue.
One of the victims, 48-year old Deanna Stuve from Hemet, was killed as a result. The other victim, a 50-year old man from Hemet, sustained serious injuries and is in critical condition at a local hospital, according to the July 26th press release.
Witnesses reported that Bell, along with her female passenger, stopped a short distance away from the collision. They both then got out of the car and into a white sedan waiting on the road, fleeing the scene.
“Thanks to the assistance of multiple witnesses and video surveillance, [Huntington Beach police] officers were able to identify the getaway vehicle and trace the registered owner’s whereabouts to a residence in Huntington Beach,” according to the release.
Bell was located and arrested as she was leaving the residence. She is being held at the Huntington Beach Police Department Jail on multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run resulting in death or injury.
“It is unclear at this time whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision,” states the release. “The identity of the driver of the white getaway vehicle is still unknown and being investigated.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident, including witnesses to the collision or events surrounding it, is asked to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator D. Demetre at (714) 536-5670 or Investigator V. Rattanchandani at (714) 536-5663.
