A tragic hit-and-run incident in Uptown Charlotte early Sunday morning has left a community in mourning and a family demanding justice. According to WSOCTV, at around 2 a.m., 23-year-old Ryan Zadrozny was struck and killed by a vehicle allegedly driven by 40-year-old Mache Ulysses Darby, who then fled the scene. "He was a better version of me, and I’m going to, for the rest of my life, try to measure up to what he had become," his father, Stanley Zadrozny, expressed in a heartfelt statement obtained by the publication.
Ryan, who had come from New Jersey to visit friends, was fatally hit as he crossed the street within a marked crosswalk on the 300 block of West Morehead Street. A report from QCNews, states that Zadrozny and his friends were not causing trouble and had spent the previous evening watching sports at local bars. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department found the Mercedes Benz associated with the suspect a few blocks away from the scene. After a short pursuit, Darby crashed and was taken into custody. Investigators indicated that at the time of the incident, the driver was allegedly impaired and speeding.
Darby is now charged with Felony Death by Vehicle, Felony Hit & Run, Felony Flee to Elude, and Reckless Driving, according to WCCB Charlotte. This isn’t his first similar offense—he pleaded guilty in 2011 to a hit-and-run that killed 55-year-old Robert Hall and served 18 months in prison with 30 months of probation.
In an interview, Stanley Zadrozny lamented, "I don’t know what the system did but if the system worked in any fashion, my son might still be alive today." Zadrozny had recently graduated from college and was kickstarting his career as an investment banker. "We’re going to do our best to make sure that it works this second time so that a third person doesn’t get killed," Stanley Zadrozny told WSOCTV, a statement marked by the weight of a preventable tragedy.
According to authorities, the investigation is still active and anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to Detective Mercedes at 704-432-2169 Ext #5 or to contact Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Meanwhile, Darby remains in jail on a $1 million secured bond.
