Police: Niece led police to aunt after fatal hit-and-run kills Pennsauken student

Katherine Scott Image
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
VIDEO: Pennsauken teen killed in hit-and-run
A high school student's life was tragically cut short after he was hit by a car in South Jersey.

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- A Pennsauken High School student has been identified as the victim of a hit-and-run, and police have arrested the alleged driver.

Quason Turner, 16, was pronounced dead at the scene near the intersection of Route 130 and 49th Street in Pennsauken Monday night.

Susan Hyland, 40, of Beverly, New Jersey has been charged with multiple crimes, including leaving the scene of a fatal accident and driving with a suspended license.

PHOTOS: Pennsauken student killed in hit-and-run

Relatives say Turner was on his way home from a friend's house around 11:30 p.m. when he crossed Route 130. Police believe he hopped a jersey barrier and was hit in the southbound lanes.

The boy was hit was such force, the impact sent him into the parking lot of a nearby Burger King.

Enormous grief was felt outside Quasan's home on Tuesday, where loved ones gathered to mourn the loss.

His brother, Stewart Turner, tells us, "I don't want him to be gone. I want him to be here. I don't want people to be feeling the sorrow that I have. I don't want that. I loved my brother."

Quasan's grandfather, Brett Waters, says, "To hit someone like that, and then leave him there like they were an animal or trash or whatever. That ain't right."

The ensuing investigation brought police to 29th and Clinton streets in Camden, where the suspect, Susan Hyland, was arrested at a relative's home. The car with a damaged front-end was located in front of the house.

Neighbor Julio Lopez explains, "(The car had) all front-end damage. The whole front was smashed in, windshield all busted up."

Pennsauken Police have made an arrest and located the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run that killed a man crossing Route 130.

Police say Hyland was behind the wheel of her niece's car when she struck Turner. Her niece, 19-year-old Brianne Folk, was visiting from the Harrisburg area, and was sitting in the passenger seat. Her aunt was allegedly driving because Folk was tired and unfamiliar with the area.

Police say when they arrived Folk, feeling guilty, broke away to call 911.

Pennsauken Police Sgt. Chris Sulzbach explains, "The driver was unaware that she was placing this call. She was upstairs. She disconnected the call because she thought she was being overheard."

But from that phone call, they zeroed in on her location, and police arrived.

Sgt. Sulzbach says, "I was on phone with Brianna because I had called her back on my cell phone, and asked her to come out. She had come out the front door, and Susan Hyland was exiting the back door where we had officers."

Turner's family say he was killed as he returned home from his job at the Cherry Hill Mall, but stopped to see his girlfriend first.

His girlfriend, Joann lu, tells us, "He was just amazing. He was always happy, never a disappointment, and brought joy to everyone."

Hyland is now said to be cooperating with police, and is being held on $200,000 bail.