WCU crash suspect free on bail

Frances M. Roselli of West Goshen allegedly hit 2 pedestrians with her car

WEST GOSHEN» A woman who allegedly struck two people on the West Chester University campus with her car is free on bail awaiting a preliminary hearing in January, according to court records. Frances M. Roselli, 53, of West Goshen was arrested by university police on Nov. 22 and charged with multiple offenses stemming from the incident that took place earlier in the month on South New Street near the university’s athletic complex on South Campus.

One of the two people injured, who was not identified by police, suffered a concussion, cracked ribs, and broken foot and internal injuries.

Roselli, who was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge William Kraut and released on $7,500 bail, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, aggravated assault by vehicle, institutional vandalism, recklessly endangering another person and related counts.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2018 in front of Kraut.

According to a criminal complaint filed by West Chester University Detective Laura McGill and Chester County Detective Keith Cowdright, the incident occurred at about 8:50 a.m. on Nov. 6 in the 800 block of South New Street.

Witnesses, including one of the injured, told police a white Acura SUV traveling south on South New Street jumped the curb and drove along the sidewalk. The car struck one person, the most seriously injured, as they were walking and the second, who was also not identified, as they sat on a bus stop bench waiting for the university shuttle that carries passengers from South Campus in West Goshen to the Main Campus in West Chester.

The pedestrian was found lying face down on the pavement with their left arm pinned underneath their body. Blood was coming from their mouth and the person said they were in extreme pain. The person was taken to the Paoli Hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, according to the complaint.

The second person told police that they were waiting for the shuttle bus when they heard a commotion and saw the SUV on the sidewalk coming at them.

The car turned toward the bench on which they were sitting and grazed their legs. The person identified the driver as a women in her 50s, and said they looked the woman directly in the eye as she drove along the sidewalk.

A third witness said they saw the SUV jump the curb

and hit the pedestrian from behind, missing the witness by 2 or 3 feet.

Less than 10 minutes later, West Chester police responded to a motor vehicle accident in the 700 block of South High Street. When officers interviewed the motorist who had struck a parked Audi sedan there, she told them that she had just struck “several pedestrians” on South New Street, and had intentionally collided with the Audi.

She told the officers that she was attempting to commit suicide and was looking for objects to crash into.

The driver was identified as Roselli.

Another motorist told officers that they had to swerve their car to get out of the way of the Acura on Snyder Avenue, near the scene of the final crash.

To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.