Teen arrested after deadly wreck that left victim 250 feet from crash, Columbia police say

A teenager was arrested weeks after a South Carolina man was killed in a crash on a busy road, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Madeline C. Kuester, 18, was charged with reckless homicide Monday, police said in news release.

At about 11 p.m. on June 18, Kuester was driving a speeding vehicle in the 1900 block of Rosewood Drive, according to the release. The vehicle was traveling at 88 mph when it hit a pedestrian, who the Richland County Coroner’s Office identified as 47-year-old Charlton E. Ard, police said.

Ard was walking south on Rosewood Drive when he was struck by a Honda traveling east on Rosewood, police previously said.

The collision left Ard’s body 250 feet from where the crash occurred, and he died at the scene, according to the release.

Kuester was “driving recklessly with willful disregard for the safety of others by traveling 53 miles over the posted speed limit of 35 (mph),” police said.

On Monday, Kuester surrendered to police and was taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release. Richland County court records show her bond was set at $20,000 and posted, and Kuester is no longer listed on the jail’s inmate roster.

Kuester is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 27, judicial records show.

The crash

Jamal Suber, who lives near the crash site on South Edisto Avenue, previously told The State he has video of the crash from cameras mounted on his home for security purposes. Suber told the newspaper he provided a copy of the video to the police.

In the video, the pedestrian reached Rosewood Drive “stopped, he looked and then started to walk,’’ Suber said previously. “When he got to about the middle of Rosewood, you can see two cars. They are wide open.’’’

Suber said the video shows that the man then “tries to run, to get out of the road. There was no braking, nothing. He was struck and you can see (him) fly into the air.’’

This story was originally published July 2, 2024 at 8:05 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription

Sammy Fretwell

The State

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Sammy Fretwell has covered the environment beat for The State since 1995. He writes about an array of issues, including wildlife, climate change, energy, state environmental policy, nuclear waste and coastal development. He has won numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year by the S.C. Press Association in 2017. Fretwell is a University of South Carolina graduate who grew up in Anderson County. Reach him at 803 771 8537. Support my work with a digital subscription