Driver in Fatal Nov. Hit and Run Arrested

Danbury Police charged Eugene Robinson, 22, of New Britain, in the hit and run death of a WestConn student on Nov. 22.

Robinson turned himself in at police headquarters at 7 a.m. Friday, police said.

The victim of the hit and run was Dong Lin of Brookfield. Lin died shortly after being hit, and his family talked about losing their only son in this story.

Robinson was charged with evading responsibility and held on a $100,000 bond. He was arraigned in Danbury Superior Court Friday.

WCSU published the following statement. "The university learned today that Eugene C. Robinson, who is enrolled at Western Connecticut State University, has been arrested in connection with the death of Dong Lin, another WCSU student who was hit by a car on White Street on Nov. 22.

 University President James W. Schmotter said he was encouraged that progress has been made to resolve the criminal investigation but saddened to learn a Western student was involved.

 “This arrest does not lessen the tragedy of our loss, and in fact adds to the sorrow on campus as we cope with the fact that a fellow student has been implicated,” Schmotter said." This ended the statement.

When Lin's family spoke shortly after his death, the depth of the pain in losing their only son was palpable.

Dong had lived in Brookfield with his family — mother, father and six-year-old sister — for over 14 years, working with his parents, aunt, uncle and cousins at the family restaurant, near Four Corners on Federal Road.

“He was a very nice kid who loved his family,” cousin Angie Zheng said during an interview with the family. “He was always working at the restaurant or helping watch his little sister when he wasn’t at school. He was a quiet guy — nice and humble.”

Dong worked part-time at the restaurant to pay for classes and was thinking of majoring in business, though he had yet to choose a degree program.

“He was taking classes in business but had not decided on a major; he was going to decide what kind of business after he got out of college,” said his mother, Qiu. Though when he was young his “dream was to find dinosaurs,” she said.

“He didn’t drink, smoke or anything like that,” she said, he stayed home to watch his sister while his parents worked, and enjoyed playing games online.