Columbia Police Department (CPD) Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) investigators have charged an 18-year-old female in connection with last month’s fatal pedestrian collision on Rosewood Drive.
Police Chief W. H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook announces that Madeline C. Kuester is charged with Reckless Homicide after turning herself in to CPD officers today. The suspect was previously housed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center after a judge set a $20,000 bond.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., on June 18, 2024, Kuester allegedly drove 88 miles per hour along the 1900 block of Rosewood Drive when she struck the male pedestrian. The Richland County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as 47-year-old Charlton E. Ard.
During the investigation, TSU officers determined that Kuester was driving recklessly with willful disregard for the safety of others by traveling 53 miles over the posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour. The victim traveled 250 feet after impact with Kuester’s vehicle and was pronounced deceased on the scene.
All persons arrested/charged are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.