Jackson Yelle, a 21-year-old former Elon student and member of Elon’s Club Baseball team, was killed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in April 2023.
The driver, 45-year-old Jason Sauro of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to first-degree assault and a felony related to the deadly crash on Highway 17 Bypass North near 21st Avenue. Sauro was sentenced to 10 years in prison and suspended to five years probation by Judge Alex Hyman in the case of The State of SC v. Jason Sauro. Typically, a judge will dismiss a case if someone successfully fulfills their probation — meaning it’s possible Sauro will serve no time in prison after completing his probation.
Sauro received a reduced sentence of 10 years of probation with five years random drug and alcohol testing instead of potential prison time. According to previous Elon News Network coverage, Sauro has a history of traffic violations. Sauro has been charged eight other times between 2006 and 2020, including twice for open alcohol container violations in January 2011 and May 2020. He 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 had his charges downgraded due to challenges in proving that he actually knew he had struck a person. The Sun News reported that Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said Sauro is legally deaf, and thus, prosecutors would have increased difficulty in proving the charge of initial hit and run involved in accident with death. Instead, his charge was reduced to first-degree assault and battery.
In an interview with Elon News Network, Yelle’s mother Andrea Yelle said the Judge’s sentence was sad and disappointing.
“I think it’s a shock that our son mattered so little,” Andrea said. “That was the hard part.”
Having watched the footage of the hit-and-run, Andrea said she does not know how the driver did not see Jackson.
“It's clear as day when you look at the video, that Jackson is long and lanky and tall, and the driver didn't know he hit him? How do you miss Jackson?” Andrea said.
Prior to sentencing, Andrea wrote an impact statement to the judge. An impact statement is an oral or written statement which is delivered to the judge in part of the legal process intended to assist the judge when he or she decides what sentence the defendant should receive.
Andrea said families, students and the Elon community have played a big part in their support system. According to Andrea, Jackson’s roommate, Harley Wilf, started a GoFundMe fundraiser, which raised over $45,000.
“Everyone was donating,” Andrea said. “And the ones that got me the most, were the kids that donated $5. They’re living on a student budget. They’re doing something. And they put $5 in. It gets me teared up.”
Andrea also said students and families that she didn’t know have continued to reach out to share their favorite memories of Jackson.
“They would give us donations and say, ‘Jackson walked my daughter home one night when she felt uncomfortable at a party. Jackson helped her when her car broke down,’” Andrea said. “I felt like he was a protector for all their kids, and he was there for them.”
Lisa Wilf, Harley’s mother, also wrote an impact statement regarding the relationship between Jackson and Harley.
“The Harley who is here today will have a new normal — his life will never be the same without Jackson by his side,” Lisa Wilf wrote. “Who will Harley call when he meets the girl he wants to marry, or when he gets his first job or his first apartment? Who is going to give the best man speech at Harley’s wedding? Who is Harley going to call with the news he’s going to be a dad for the first time? You see, the answer to all of these questions was Jackson Yelle.”
Paige Goldberg ’24 and Stephanie Abbazia ’24 also wrote a statement saying their friendship with Jackson was a gift.
“Meeting Jackson was one of the highlights of our collegiate experiences. He was one of the most welcoming, free-spirited, kindhearted people we have met,” Goldberg and Abbazia wrote. “Seeing him in any room you walked into made you feel instantly more comfortable. Knowing you had a friend in him made you feel safe and grateful.”
To honor Jackson Yelle, his family created a non-profit foundation to honor his legacy. For more information, visit @honoring.jacksonyelle on Instagram and www.jackonyelle.com.