Car involved in deadly pedestrian hit-and-run identified and found, Charlotte police say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The car involved in a Tuesday hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian was found, Charlotte police reported on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, Charlotte police reported that a red Mercedes Benz was the vehicle that crashed into a pedestrian, killing them, the night before.

The pedestrian, identified on Wednesday as 43-year-old Niceforo Garcia-Rufino, was reportedly found lying in the street.

Police said Wednesday that the Mercedes had been found, but they did not specify where or in what condition.

Police said the driver of the Mercedes never stopped after the deadly south Charlotte crash, which happened in the area of East Arrowood Road and Colony Acres Drive.

The driver was “still outstanding” and had not been taken into custody, police said Wednesday evening.

The driver is accused of driving “above the posted speed limit at the time of the crash, according to police. They reportedly drove off after the crash, traveling east on East Arrowood Road and heading toward South Boulevard.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were asking anyone with information to contact Detective D. Leung at 704-432-2169 ext. 6, or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 704-334-1600.

The crash comes at a time when several pedestrian crashes have been reported in the Charlotte region, in both North Carolina and South Carolina.

The most recent high-profile case involved the death of a 6-year-old girl, who was hit by a car near a school bus stop in Charlotte last month.

---> More on that: Stop signs coming to Charlotte intersection where 6-year-old was killed in hit-and-run

Last week, a woman in Chester County, South Carolina turned herself in after a hit-and-run left a child hospitalized.

More recently, a 12-year-old was hit by a car while riding an e-scooter in Matthews last weekend. No charges had been filed in that case, as of Tuesday.

Following the deadly pedestrian hit-and-run Tuesday, a Charlotte City Council member was calling for a streetlight-reporting initiative.

---> More on that: Charlotte council member calls for streetlight-reporting initiative after pedestrian killed in hit-and-run