Driver of hit-and-run sentenced to five years probation for April 2023 killing of Elon University student

Jackson Yelle, a 21-year-old former 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 Hyman in the case of The State of SC v. Jason Sauro. This means Sauro’s prison sentence will be delayed to serve his probation, and typically if someone successfully fulfills their probation, a judge will then dismiss the case.

Yelle’s parents were not immediately available for comment. Yelle’s mother, Andrea Yelle wrote an impact statement, followed by other statements by family and friends that were all delivered to the judge. 

Lisa Wilf, mother of Jackson Yelle’s roommate, Harley Wilf, wrote an impact statement on Harley Wilf’s close friendship with Jackson Yelle.

“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.”

Friends and Paige Goldberg ’24 and Stephanie Abbazia ’24 wrote a statement saying their friendship with Jackson Yelle 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 @honoring.jacksonyelle on Instagram and www.jackonyelle.com. They created a non-profit foundation to honor his legacy.