A 24-year-old undocumented immigrant, Rosali Fernandez-Cruz, has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to a hit-and-run crash that killed University of South Carolina student Nathaniel Baker, age 21.
The fatal collision occurred on April 2, 2025, near the USC campus in Columbia. Authorities say Fernandez-Cruz failed to yield, struck Baker’s motorcycle while turning left, then fled the scene and abandoned his vehicle. He was later arrested a short distance away.
Although originally charged with multiple counts—including failure to render aid, driving without a license, and failure to yield—prosecutors dropped the lesser charges. Fernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty to the single count of hit-and-run resulting in death. He was given credit for 131 days already served and is slated for release around March 2026.
Law enforcement records show that Fernandez-Cruz had previously been wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a deportation order issued in 2018. Despite that, he remained in the U.S. and was not in compliance with the order when the collision occurred.
The sentence, which some see as lenient given the severity of the crime, was reportedly agreed upon in consultation with Baker’s family, who expressed a desire to avoid politicizing the case. The prosecution’s decision to reduce the charges and the one-year term have already stirred public debate about accountability, immigration enforcement, and judicial discretion.