Wilmington Man Gets 59 Years for Deadly Rt. 273 Crash

State of DE - A Wilmington man is heading to prison for decades after a high-speed crash that killed two people and hurt four others on Rt. 273 in New Castle, Delaware.

On June 24, DeJuan Robinson, 28, was sentenced to 59 years in prison. A Superior Court jury convicted him on a long list of charges, including two counts of Murder 2nd Degree and two counts of Manslaughter.

Robinson also faced four counts of Assault 1st Degree and five counts of Reckless Endangering 1st Degree. He was also convicted of weapon charges, red light violations, speeding, and disregarding a police signal.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings spoke about the loss this case represents for the victims' families. "Karisma Elvio-Stevens and Zamiya Elvio should still be with us today. Instead, they were taken from their families by the defendant's callous, reckless decision to try and evade law enforcement without any regard for his surroundings; their remaining family members have been left to make sense of a horrific tragedy that left many of them severely injured," she said. "This outcome ensures that Robinson will face the full weight of justice. Our DOJ trial team and our partners in law enforcement have done a remarkable job in securing this sentence, and I want to express my gratitude to them."

The crash happened on August 21, 2024, just after 11 p.m. Delaware State Police stopped Robinson for driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone near Hare's Corner.

During the stop, Robinson sped off in his car. Police lost sight of him right away.

Robinson then doubled back, turned off his headlights, and sped down Rt. 273 going the other way. He ran a red light at Churchmans Road and kept going. Police were no longer chasing him at this point.

As Robinson neared Airport Road, the light was red for his direction. He swerved around a slowing car and blew through the intersection at over 100 mph.

Karisma Elvio-Stevens was making a legal left turn onto Airport Road with a green light. She had her five children in the minivan with her.

Robinson slammed into the side of her minivan. The crash killed Karisma and her 10-year-old daughter, Zamiyah. Two other children were ejected from the van, and a bystander pulled the remaining two kids out to safety.

All four surviving children were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Robinson broke his leg in the crash and was also taken to the hospital, where he was arrested.