Say What Now? Man Sentenced After Fatal Hit-And-Run, Victim’s Mother Accuses Him of Leaving Son in Street ‘Like Roadkill’

After striking a plea deal, a Pennsylvania man’s time behind bars has been cut in half after a 14-year-old teen boy died in a tragic hit-and-run more than a year ago.

At a court appearance Monday, James Shulski, 36, admitted guilt to all charges and prosecutors agreed to reduce the grading of the lone felony charge — accidents involving death or personal injury.

As part of the negotiated plea, Shulski will spend 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison and six years probation, which will be served concurrent to his incarceration, according to Bucks County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Manuel Gamiz.

Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Finley accepted the plea and deferred sentencing 60 days for Shulski who is free after posting 10% of $100,000 bail.

Shulski was arrested in January following a six-month police investigation in to the death of Harlem Dennis who was killed on July 6, 2023 while attempting to cross a four-lane highway in Bensalem with another boy.

Bensalem police allege that Shulski was driving a Honda Accord west on Street Road just before the Route 1 overpass around 10:15 p.m. when he swerved out of the left travel lane to avoid the teens.

The Accord narrowly missed another 14-year-old boy, who was not injured.

But Shulski struck Harlem, who dove toward the center lane as the vehicle approached them, according to an affidavit of probable cause. He was then struck by a second car while he was lying in the road.

The force of the impact left Harlem’s shoes, socks and other personal items strewn throughout the center lane, the affidavit said.

Both cars initially stopped, but after two minutes Shulski allegedly got back into his car and left before police arrived. He was last seen driving down Street Road toward the Lower Southampton area.

Harlem died of blunt trauma to the head and chest, according to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.

The boy and his mother were long-term residents of the nearby Red Roof Inn motel, police said.

Investigators found surveillance video showing a gray Honda Accord traveling westbound on Street Road just prior to the crash. The vehicle was then tracked backward using surveillance cameras.

A license plate reader captured the Accord’s registration number before the crash, police said.

A week after the accident, Bensalem police went to the home where the Accord was registered; they found it parked outside with damage consistent with striking a pedestrian, police said.

Police spoke to the vehicle owner, Shulski’s father, who told them that his son, James, who also lived at the home, most likely had the vehicle the night of the accident, the affidavit said.

Police attempted to speak with Shulski, but he refused to answer questions.

Authorities obtained a search warrant and seized the Accord; cellphone records placed Shulski’s phone near the scene around the time of the accident, police said. DNA recovered from the vehicle steering wheel matched a sample from Shulski.

Earlier this year Shulski was convicted in Bucks County Court of DUI-related charges stemming from a May 2023 arrest in Warminster, according to court records; he was sentenced to 72 hours to six months in jail.

via: PhillyBurbs

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