46-Year-Old Man Arrested In Fatal Hit And Run Accident

ST. PAUL, MN — St. Paul Police have arrested a 46-year-old man in conjunction with a fatal hit and run accident that occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Police arrested Kevin Chad Vereecke within 15 minutes of the accident, which involved a pedestrian at the intersection of Vandalia St. and Charles Ave., where police found a man seriously injured. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police identified the victim on Wednesday as being Minneapolis resident Russell W. Bangert.

Police put out an alert for a pickup truck after viewing surveillance video of the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate the vehicle based on the description taken from the video and by damage that was consistent with the accident, police said.

Vereecke appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was taken into custody after being located in the truck off of Vandalia Ave between University Ave. and Interstate 94. Vereecke was booked into the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide.

The incident remains under investigation.