A highway construction worker has died two days after being struck by a vehicle that fled an active work zone near Rivers Avenue and N.A.D. Road in North Charleston, and police say they have arrested the driver responsible. Carlos Alberto Castro Pineda, 40, of Goose Creek now faces reckless vehicular homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death, and driving under suspension for DUI, first offense.
According to WYFF, North Charleston police say Castro Pineda was arrested in connection with the crash that killed the highway worker, and the case was built after witnesses described the suspect's car to investigators. The collision happened on Rivers Avenue near N.A.D. Road, according to ABC News 4, which reported the collision occurred around 10 p.m. Sunday.
Not every outlet has placed the crash on the same night. The Post and Courier described the hit-and-run as taking place just after 10 p.m. near the same intersection but dated it to Oct. 10, and the discrepancy between the two accounts has not been resolved in available reporting. What is consistent across reports is that the worker was in an active construction zone when he was struck, and that the vehicle involved left the scene before officers arrived. The Post and Courier reported the vehicle was believed to be a red pickup truck, though its exact make, model and ownership have not been independently verified.
Witness Tip Leads Police to Suspect Days Later
The injured worker was taken to the hospital but did not survive. He died from his injuries on Tuesday, two days after the crash, per ABC News 4's reporting. Authorities have not yet identified the victim publicly, according to Live 5 News.
Investigators relied on witnesses who provided a description of the suspect's vehicle, and that information led officers to Castro Pineda on North Rhett Avenue Tuesday around 4:30 p.m., the station reported. He was taken into custody and booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center, per the same account. No booking photograph, bond amount, court date, or attorney information has been made public in the reporting so far.
Charges Carry Weight of a Work-Zone Death
Castro Pineda now faces three charges tied to the crash: reckless vehicular homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death, and driving under suspension for DUI, first offense, as reported by ABC News 4.
Work zones like the one near Rivers Avenue and N.A.D. Road put construction crews within feet of passing traffic, often with only cones and barrels separating workers from moving vehicles. The Federal Highway Administration maintains data sets tracking work-zone safety nationally, though no specific regional crash trends were available in connection with this case.
