Minneapolis man killed in St. Paul hit-run was walking to bus stop after work

A pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash in St. Paul, and the driver was arrested moments later on suspicion of being chemically impaired, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday near Vandalia Street and Charles Avenue, police said.

Police identified the victim as Russell W. Bangert, 61, of Minneapolis.

The 46-year-old driver fled in his pickup truck, police said, but an officer spotted the damaged vehicle and the motorist roughly 15 minutes later about two blocks away, police said.

The suspect appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to police. He was jailed on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide, released Thursday and awaits charges. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Police have yet to explain the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Courts records show that the motorist has a drunken driving conviction from 2009.

Bangert was released from state prison in 2016 after his conviction for the 1976 murders of his half-sister and her husband.

Bangert was convicted by jurors in Blue Earth County when he was 18 years old of two counts of first-degree murder for the November 1976 shooting of Robert Evenson, 31, and Ellen Evenson, 28, in their Rapidan home.

Police caught up with him five weeks later in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bangert was imprisoned from early 1977 until November 2016, then paroled and placed on probation for life.

Bangert worked for an electronic recycling company in St. Paul for the past 2½ years and was on his way to his bus stop after his shift when he was run over, said Tech Dump program director David Springer.

"He had a very good knowledge of computers and electronics," said Springer. "He was quite consistent and was always doing his best."

Springer said that Bangert "lived with a lot of regrets from his teenage years and all the mistakes he had made. His whole goal was to give back to people where he could and rebuild relationships with his family."

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482