Margaret M. Flail, 73, was killed Thursday evening after being struck by a vehicle on Blue Bell Road in Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. The driver allegedly left her lying at the scene and drove away. Authorities later tracked down the suspected driver, Shaun D. Fennimore, 46, of Bellmawr, after finding his vehicle abandoned at a nearby convenience store.
The crash happened shortly before 6 p.m. on November 5. Monroe Township police officers were dispatched to Blue Bell Road at approximately 5:47 p.m. after receiving reports that a vehicle had struck a pedestrian. Flail was seriously injured and rushed to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Investigators determined that the driver had left without remaining at the scene. As officers worked to establish what happened, they located the suspected vehicle parked at a nearby Heritage convenience store. The discovery gave investigators an important lead as they tried to identify and locate the person believed to have been behind the wheel.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed a man getting out of the vehicle and running away. Police then brought in Monroe Township’s K-9 officer, Cairo, to help search for the suspect. The dog followed a trail into a wooded area near Clayton and Railroad avenues.
That search led officers to Fennimore, who was taken into custody in the wooded area. His arrest came after investigators followed the trail from the abandoned vehicle to the surrounding area. Authorities have not announced any results from the forensic testing connected to the investigation.
Fennimore has been charged with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and third-degree driving with a suspended license. Investigators also obtained a search warrant for blood and urine samples. The results of those tests are still pending.
The second-degree charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years, while the third-degree charge carries a maximum of five years. Those are the potential penalties if Fennimore is convicted, not a statement of what sentence he will receive. The investigation into Flail’s death remains ongoing, and Fennimore is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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