Hemet teacher killed, husband critical, after struck by hit and run driver while using PCH crosswalk

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., — A Victorville woman officials say fled the scene of a Huntington Beach collision that killed an elementary school teacher and critically injured her husband was later arrested by officers conducting surveillance at a local home where the woman was found to be hiding after the deadly hit and run Sunday evening, July 25.

The couple who were struck, Deanna Stuve, 48, a Hemet Unified school teacher who worked at Cawston Elementary, and Frederick “Ricky” Stuve, 50, both of Hemet, were using a crosswalk and had the right of way to cross the Pacific Coast Highway when Chillandra Bell, 26, of Victorville ran a red light and plowed into the couple.

Deanna passed away at the scene and Fredrick remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to Huntington Beach Police Department; who have said that a woman and others who were captured on video, (which can be seen below), helping Bell flee the scene in two separate vehicles are still being sought.

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City of Huntington Beach police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene around 8 p.m. after receiving reports of a hit and run traffic accident involving two pedestrians and a Nissan Altima, Huntington Beach Police Officer and spokesperson Jennifer Carey later said of the fatal collision and arrest.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, the Altima was traveling northbound on Pacific Coast Highway when it ran a red light, striking the two pedestrians who were crossing Pacific Coast Highway at Newland Avenue in the crosswalk with the right of way,” Carey explained.

“Following the collision, the driver of the Altima … continued driving before stopping a short distance away,” Carey explained. “(She) and her unidentified female passenger left the Altima abandoned along the roadway, got into a waiting white sedan, and fled the scene.”

Chilling video captured at the scene of last night’s fatal hit and run showed Chillandra Bell, 26, of Victorville, moving things from her collision damaged Nissan to another sedan, before fleeing the area. She was later arrested as she left a Huntington Beach home. OnScene TV image

The victims were reportedly visiting the beach with family members and witnesses to the fatal collision said at least one of the couple’s teenage daughters witnessed the horrifying accident.

In a blood chilling video obtained by OnScene.TV that begins with Bell and another woman seen frantically transferring clothing, beach towels and other personal items from Bell’s heavily damaged Nissan to another white vehicle, while others who appear to be with the pair can be seen arguing about what to do next.

As the video continues, you can then hear an unknown female’s horrified screams of anguish, which cause the still arguing group to flee the area in the white sedan, followed close behind by a Jeep.

During their subsequent investigation, officers gathered information and developed leads that came from multiple witnesses, area video surveillance cameras and the witness who obtained the video footage that can be seen below.

“Officers were able to identify the getaway vehicle and trace the registered owner’s whereabouts to a residence in Huntington Beach,” Carey continued; saying officers conducted surveillance of the residence and arrested Bell as she was leaving the location.

Bell was later booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run resulting in death or injury. She remained in custody as of this morning, according to Carey; who said investigators are still working to determine if drug or alcohol intoxication were contributing factors in the deadly collision.

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Cawston Elementary school teacher Deanna Stuve was killed and her husband Ricky remains hospitalized in critical condition, after a hit and run traffic collision along PCH in Huntington Beach last night. She was reportedly visiting the beach with family members, including her teenage daughter who witnesses say saw the horrifying crash. Sarah Lindsey/GoFundMe photo

Family member Sarah Lindsey has since created a GoFundMe account to help raise the needed funds for Deanna’s funeral and her cousin Ricky’s medical expenses. As of this article, six hours after the fundraiser was created, it had raised nearly $10,000 toward its stated $25,000 goal.

“Ricky and Deanna created a beautiful life together with their two daughters … whose lives will be forever altered by this tragic event,” Sarah explained in the fundraiser that described the couple’s marriage as “inspiring”.

“Deanna was an elementary school teacher who loved her students. But more than anything, she was a mom who loved her daughters more than life itself,” she continued; adding, “She was a beautiful light in this world, and she will be forever cherished by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the police at (714) 536-5670 or (714) 536-5663. Callers can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.