Executive Summary
- Donald Russell, 67, died Monday from injuries sustained during a carjacking in South Toledo last Thursday.
- Police reports indicate the victim was dragged approximately half a mile by the stolen vehicle.
- The suspect died shortly after the crime upon crashing on I-75 and being struck by a commercial vehicle while fleeing.
Donald Russell, 67, has died from injuries sustained during a carjacking incident at a Greyhound station in South Toledo, according to statements provided by his family on Monday. The incident, which took place last Thursday on Emerald Avenue, resulted in the victim being dragged by his own vehicle as it was stolen.
According to a Toledo police report, a 38-year-old suspect from West Virginia attempted to force Russell out of the vehicle at the station. Investigators state that during the theft, the victim was dragged for approximately half a mile, eventually dislodging near 734 S. Erie St. Although initial police assessments characterized Russell’s injuries as non-life-threatening, his granddaughter confirmed to WTOL 11 that he passed away on Monday night due to the trauma incurred.
The suspect accused of the carjacking also died shortly after the incident. Toledo police officials reported that the suspect crashed the stolen vehicle on northbound I-75 near the Anthony Wayne Trail. Following the crash, the suspect reportedly fled on foot, jumping a barrier into the southbound lanes where he was struck by a commercial vehicle. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Investigative Outlook
With the deaths of both the victim and the primary suspect, the Toledo Police Department is expected to focus its remaining investigative efforts on forensic verification and case closure. Authorities will likely await official autopsy results to legally confirm the cause of the victim’s death. While the death of a suspect generally precludes criminal prosecution, law enforcement protocols require a comprehensive documentation of events to officially close the file on the violent series of events.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
