A Wilmington man has been sentenced to decades in prison after causing a high-speed crash that killed a New Castle mother and her young daughter while seriously injuring five others.
On June 24, 2026, 28-year-old DeJuan Robinson was sentenced in Delaware Superior Court to 59 years in prison following his convictions on 23 criminal charges stemming from the August 21, 2024 crash. Robinson was convicted of two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Manslaughter, four counts of Assault in the First Degree, five counts of Reckless Endangering in the First Degree, five counts of Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, two counts of Disregarding a Red Light, Speeding, Failure to Display Headlights, and Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal.
According to prosecutors, the crash occurred shortly after 11 p.m. after a Delaware State Police trooper stopped Robinson for driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone on Route 273 near U.S. Route 13 in the Hare’s Corner area. During the traffic stop, Robinson placed his Kia K5 in gear and fled. Troopers were unable to immediately locate him.
Investigators said Robinson doubled back around a nearby building, began traveling westbound on Route 273 with his headlights turned off, and ran a red light at Churchmans Road. By that point, police were no longer pursuing his vehicle.
As Robinson approached the intersection of Route 273 and Airport Road, the traffic signal was red for his direction of travel. Vehicles ahead of him were slowing to stop when prosecutors said Robinson swerved around one of them and accelerated into the intersection at more than 100 mph without braking or attempting to avoid a collision.
At the same time, 29-year-old Karisma Elivo-Stevens was making a left turn onto Airport Road in a Dodge Grand Caravan after receiving a green signal. Robinson’s vehicle struck the passenger side of the minivan with catastrophic force.
Elivo-Stevens and her 10-year-old daughter, Zamiyah Elivo, who was seated in the front passenger seat, were killed in the collision. Four of Elivo-Stevens’ other children suffered serious injuries. Two were ejected from the minivan during the crash, while two others were rescued from the overturned vehicle by a passing motorist who stopped to help. Robinson’s vehicle continued across a concrete median and struck a third vehicle driven by a Bear woman, who also sustained serious injuries.
Robinson suffered a broken femur and was transported to Christiana Hospital, where he was arrested.
The Delaware Department of Justice said Karisma Elivo-Stevens and her daughter “should still be with us today,” adding that Robinson’s decision to flee from law enforcement without regard for others forever changed the lives of the victims’ family members.
Court records revealed Robinson allegedly made an inflammatory statement while hospitalized following the crash. According to court filings, after a detective referenced the victims, Robinson allegedly responded, “I don’t give a fuck about dem people.” The Superior Court ruled the statement could not be presented to the jury because Robinson had not been advised of his Miranda rights before making the remark.
Robinson’s name had also appeared in previous criminal investigations before the fatal crash. In 2017, he escaped from juvenile detention. In 2019, he was identified by authorities as a person of interest following a multistate police incident in which a fleeing vehicle associated with him crashed into multiple vehicles in Philadelphia, injuring several people, including a three-year-old child. Authorities never publicly confirmed Robinson was inside that vehicle.
At the time of the 2024 fatal crash, Robinson was also awaiting court proceedings on unrelated criminal matters.
His convictions carried a sentencing range of 52 years to life in prison. On June 24, the court imposed a sentence of 59 years of incarceration.
