According to the Columbia Police Department, one man was murdered and another detained after a hit-and-run near the University of South Carolina campus on Wednesday.
According to University of Southern California spokesman Jeffrey Stensland, the victim was a student. Nathanial “Nate” Baker, a 21-year-old junior and business student from Glen Allen, Virginia, was killed in the crash, according to Stensland.
At around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said officers from the department’s traffic safety branch were investigating a deadly incident between a motorbike and a pickup truck.
The collision occurred Wednesday afternoon at the junction of Blossom Street and Assembly Street, according to police. That is located in downtown Columbia, on the USC campus.
Baker was on a motorcycle at 2 p.m. when he was hit by a pickup truck driven by another guy, according to authorities. Rosali Fernandez Cruz, 24, is the pick-up driver, authorities confirmed to The State on Thursday.
Fernandez Cruz failed to give the right of way when turning left at Blossom and Assembly streets, according to police. Baker was riding his motorcycle west on Blossom Street when he was hit by a pickup truck, according to authorities. Fernandez Cruz and the other occupants of the pickup fled the site following the incident, according to authorities.
According to police, Fernandez Cruz failed to stop, offer aid to Baker, or report the crash. Instead, he drove away and then fled the vehicle, according to authorities.
A traffic officer “captured (and) arrested” Fernandez Cruz in the 1100 block of Greene Street. He has been charged with hit-and-run resulting in death, failing to give aid, and driving without a license, according to police.
According to jail records, Fernandez Cruz was also charged with failure to yield right of way and is currently being housed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. A bond hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Following that appearance, the West Columbia resident is set to return to court on June 27, according to Richland County judicial records.
Fernandez Cruz was wanted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to police. Police say they talked with ICE about Fernandez Cruz’s arrest.
According to investigators, Fernandez Cruz was accompanied by two male passengers who fled the pickup following the collision. Police stated no charges are pending against them.
Baker was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead, according to authorities. No other injuries were reported.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office is aiding with the investigation, police say.
“Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to Nate’s family and friends during this difficult time,” the pastor stated.
USC counseling staff is working with people touched by Baker’s death, and services are accessible to any member of the campus community who has been “affected by this tragedy,” according to Stensland.
There was no word on whether Baker wore a helmet or if anyone in the pickup was wearing a seat belt.
According to the state Department of Public Safety, 158 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2025 as of Sunday. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, at least 948 persons were killed in collisions last year.
DPS data show that at least ten persons died in Richland County collisions in 2025. DPS reported 52 deaths in the county in 2024.
Reference: USC student killed in hit-and-run crash near campus and a man is arrested, officials say
