Man killed jumping out of car identified by Richland County coroner
The man whose body was found following a suspected hit-and-run on a major interstate in Columbia was identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office. And there is more to his death than originally believed.
Nelson Vicente Felipe was found near a southbound lane of Interstate 77 on Saturday, Coroner Gary Watts said in a news release. Felipe was discovered in the road close to Exit 12, which leads to Forest Drive and is near Fort Jackson.
South Carolina Highway Patrol originally identified Felipe as a pedestrian, but Watts said the 24-year-old actually was a passenger who jumped from a moving vehicle.
Felipe jumped from the vehicle at about 5:45 a.m. on the entrance ramp from Forest Drive onto I-77 southbound, according to the news release.
Information on why he jumped from the moving vehicle was not available.
After he was discovered on I-77, Felipe was taken to an area hospital where he died just before 6:30 a.m., Watts said.
The coroner’s office performed an autopsy and determined Felipe’s cause of death was due to blunt trauma of the head and pelvis.
The death continues to be investigated by the Columbia Police Department and coroner’s office.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 7:55 AM.
