A Lower Southampton man who admitting to killing a 14-year-old boy crossing Street Road in Bensalem in July 2023 was sentenced on Monday and will spend up to five years in state prison.
James Shulski, 36, was sentenced on Monday by Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Finley 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison and six years probation, which will be served concurrent to his prison sentence.
Shulski entered into a plea agreement deal negotiated with prosecutors, according to court records as part of a pretrial guilty plea. court records show finalized last week.
in exchange for pleading guilty, the grading on the top count of -accidents involving death or personal injury a felony of the second degree was downgraded to a felony of the third degree, along with guilty pleas to four misdemeanor related offenses.
On July 6, 2023, at 10:15 pm, Bensalem Police responded to a struck pedestrian on Street Road near the Route 1 overpass. Upon arrival, they found a 14-year-old male in the center travel lane of the roadway who had severe injuries and was unresponsive. Life-saving measures were performed, but the boy died from the injuries he sustained after being struck by a vehicle. Police found that the striking vehicle stopped briefly; the driver got out but returned to his car and fled.
An investigation lasting six months ensued.
first investigators located surveillance footage showing a gray Honda Accord traveling westbound on Street Road just prior to the crash. After striking the child, the vehicle fled the scene westbound into Lower Southampton. The vehicle was then tracked backward utilizing surveillance cameras. Prior to the crash, the registration of the striking vehicle was captured by a license plate reader, police said.
Investigators went to the registered address of the vehicle owner and found a gray Honda Accord parked at the residence. The Honda had damage consistent with striking a pedestrian. Police spoke with the vehicle owner and then attempted to speak with Shulski, who lived at the address but refused to answer any questions. The Honda Accord was seized pursuant to a search warrant, inspected, and evidence collected, says a press release.
Investigators also obtained a search warrant for Shulski’s cell phone records. A detailed review of those records placed the suspect’s cellular phone near the crash scene at the time of the incident. A search warrant for his DNA was served, and the DNA recovered from the vehicle’s steering wheel matched the known DNA sample of Shulski, according to police. Shulski was arrested in January.
Shulski was represented by Bensalem attorney’s Parlow & Lang LLC who have represented suspects accused of hit and run’s in the past.