Updated as of May 2 at 4:18 p.m. to include more information on Jason Todd Sauro's legal record, bond status and court appearance date.
A man has been arrested in a deadly pedestrian crash in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that killed Elon University junior Jackson Yelle.
The Myrtle Beach Police Department took Jason Todd Sauro, 45, of Myrtle Beach, into custody. He has been charged with traffic hit-and-run resulting in Yelle’s death.
At Sauro’s bond hearing, held at 4 p.m. May 1, a lawyer for Yelle’s family asked that bond be denied because he fled the scene. The judge set a $50,000 surety bond.
According to Horry County 15th judicial circuit, A Owens Bonding LLC — a bail bonding agency — posted bond for Sauro yesterday. Sauro has been charged eight other times between 2006 and 2020, including twice for open alcohol container violations in January 2011 and May 2020. Sauro has also been charged six times for traffic violations, including for speeding, reckless driving and driving on the wrong side of road, improper lane or unsafely shifting lanes.
Sauro’s initial court appearance is scheduled for June 16 at the Horry County General Sessions Court located in Conway, South Carolina.
Myrtle Beach police said from a preliminary investigation that Yelle was hit while attempting to cross Highway 17 Bypass north of 21st Avenue North on foot at around 1:30 a.m. April 30. An officer from the Horry County Police Department found Yelle unresponsive at 7:24 a.m. that morning beside the highway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Myrtle Beach Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the crash should call 843-918-1382 and reference case number 23-004451.
Members of the campus community who want to share messages with Yelle’s family can drop them off to the front desk in the Truitt Center or mail them to the Truitt Center at 2960 Campus Box.
For resources, students, faculty and staff can contact the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life at 336-278-7729, staff with Student Care and Outreach in the Office of the Dean of Students at 336-278-7200, or counselors from Counseling Services at 336-278-7280.
Students can access 24/7 resources from the crisis counselor on-call at 336-278-2222, TalkNow from TimelyCare, or Student Life administrator on-call through Campus Safety and Police at 336-278-5555. Faculty and staff may also utilize Elon Work-Life Resources for support.
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Margaret Faust and Ryan Kupperman contributed to the reporting of this story.