In a tragic and senseless act, an illegal immigrant has been charged with the hit-and-run death of a South Carolina college student, sparking outrage over the growing dangers posed by unchecked immigration under the Biden Administration. The victim was killed when the illegal alien, who was reportedly driving without a license, fled the scene of the accident. The incident highlights the serious consequences of lax immigration policies under the previous administration that the Trump administration is being forced to handle, which allowed illegal immigrants with criminal records to live freely in the U.S. and put American lives at risk.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that Rosali I. Fernandez Cruz struck 21-year-old Nate Baker, who was riding a motorcycle, in Columbia, South Carolina, before fleeing the scene. The Columbia Police Department later apprehended the illegal immigrant.
Yesterday, 21-year-old USC student Nathanial “Nate” Baker was driving a motorcycle when he was hit by a truck driver who fled the scene. The hit & run driver was in our country illegally.
Nate should be alive today. @DHSgov prays for Nate’s family, friends, and loved ones and… pic.twitter.com/BKtVVJuqM9
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) April 3, 2025
Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem also gave her condolences to the victim’s family.
“On Wednesday, 21-year-old Virginia native Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Baker was driving a motorcycle when he was struck and killed by a driver who fled the scene. The hit-and-run driver was an alien in our country illegally. This tragedy should have never happened. I am praying for Nate, his family and loved ones. We will get Nate and his family justice, Noem wrote on X Friday morning,” Noem said in a statement.
A DHS source confirmed that Cruz, a Salvadoran illegal alien, had an active deportation order before the incident happened. According to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, the illegal immigrant was arrested by Border Patrol agents near Hidalgo, TX, in December 2016. He was released with a notice to appear but never showed up to court. In September 2018, a DOJ immigration judge in Charlotte, NC, ordered Cruz to be deported in absentia. However, he was never removed from the U.S.
He was charged with hit-and-run resulting in the death of a young man, failure to provide information or assist the victim, and neglecting to yield the right of way.
“After the collision, Fernandez Cruz is accused of not stopping or rendering aid to the victim or reporting the incident to police,” the Columbia Police Department said in a statement. “He’s further accused of driving away from the scene and running from the vehicle. A nearby CPD officer found and detained the suspect at the 1100 block of Greene Street. Two male passengers were with Fernandez Cruz during the collision and also ran from the scene. No charges are pending against them.”
