ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis man was charged earlier this month after police said he struck and killed a 75-year-old man in St. Louis last year.
Lonnie Friarson, 47, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death in connection with the Oct. 7 pedestrian crash that killed 75-year-old Stephen Aylward.
The St. Louis police department’s accident reconstruction team responded at about 10 a.m. on Oct. 7 to Gravois Avenue and Devolsey Street, which is on the edge of the Benton Park and McKinley Heights neighborhoods. First responders arrived and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
According to police, Aylward was crossing the street when he was hit by a driver in a Chevy Impala. The driver then stopped, made a U-turn and drove away from the scene.
On Oct. 13, police announced a suspect had been arrested in the case and police were seeking charges from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office. On March 11, Friarson was charged.
In an obituary, Aylward was described as "an honored legendary history teacher at St. Louis University High School. After retirement, he became an award winning volunteer at the Missouri Botanical Garden with a plant subspecies officially named after him."
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/
