Columbia Police Department (CPD) investigators have charged a 24-year-old man in connection with yesterday’s fatal motorcycle collision at the intersection of Assembly and Blossom Streets.
Police Chief W. H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook announces that Rosali I. Fernandez-Cruz is housed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center (ASGDC), charged with Hit and Run Resulting in Death, Failure to Give Information and Render Aid, Failure to Yield the Right of Way, and Driving without a License.
CPD Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) Investigation
At approximately 2:00 p.m. on April 2, 2025, Fernandez Cruz is accused of failing to yield the right of way while turning left at Blossom and Assembly Streets. The 21-year-old victim was traveling westbound on a motorcycle along Blossom Street when he was struck by the truck.
The victim, identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office as Nathanial G. Baker of Virginia, was taken to a local hospital and pronounced deceased.
After the collision, Fernandez Cruz is accused of not stopping or rendering aid to the victim or reporting the incident to police. 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.
After researching the suspect’s name in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, CPD officers learned that Fernandez Cruz was wanted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). CPD has communicated with ICE regarding Fernandez Cruz’s arrest.
All persons arrested/charged are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.