Days after two 20-year-old women visiting from the Greenville area were fatally struck by a car on Morrison Drive in downtown Charleston, police arrested a man they believe is responsible.
Max David Gentilin, 25, is charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident causing death, the Charleston Police Department announced May 1.
Investigators determined he intentionally left the scene without calling for assistance.
The charges stem from an incident early April 28. A caller reported two victims lying unresponsive off Morrison, between Cooper and Harris streets, just after 8:30 a.m. Those victims were identified April 29 as 20-year-olds Lizzy Zito and Arianna Gamber, both of Simpsonville.
PEDESTRIANS KILLED IN AUTO COLLISION: Two were killed on Morrison Drive near the entrance to the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge when a driver fatally crashed into them and fled the scene, police say. (Source: Esri)
Morrison Drive is a major artery near the peninsula's pedestrian entrance to the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. There's one crosswalk at Cooper Street, just south of the on-ramp, but there isn't another traffic light for another half-mile. This leaves pedestrians who are trying to get to a destination on the side of the road closest to the river with no choice but to walk along the road or leapfrog across four lanes of traffic.
The women were walking north near the bike lane on Morrison Drive when a vehicle veered to the right, left the lane of travel and struck them, according to police. It's not clear where the friends were walking to or from.
Citadel cadets run along the East Bay Street sidewalk April 30, 2024, across from a memorial where two 20-year-old women were killed in a hit-and-run in downtown Charleston near an entrance to the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
Zito was a psychology major at the College of Charleston set to graduate in May. She loved animals and decided to work as a veterinary technician at an animal clinic near her hometown of Simpsonville while finishing her degree online. She and Gamber were visiting a friend in Charleston over the weekend.
"I'm so glad" the person who allegedly took their lives has been arrested, Zito's cousin, Alexander Ferrer, told The Post and Courier. "We're all relieved."
Gentilin was arrested after a dark grey 2010 Acura TL was discovered in a parking lot near the scene on Morrison Drive, close to the on-ramp to the bridge. The vehicle had damage consistent with debris found at the scene, according to police.
Gentilin's only prior driving infraction in the tri-county area includes one speeding ticket from February and a stop sign violation in 2016, in which he paid a fine.
The investigation is active. Additional charges are expected.
“Sunday's tragic notification to two families — a message no family ever deserves to receive — reminds us of the devastating impact of reckless decisions made by others," Police Chief Chito Walker said. "The choices we make are significant, and the decision made by the individual now in custody will have lifelong consequences. As we continue to pursue justice in this investigation, we recognize the weight of the grief that these families now carry as they face a future without Arianna and Lizzy. Our hearts and continued prayers go out to them in their time of unimaginable loss.”
Anyone with information that may be pertinent to the investigation is asked to contact the Charleston Police Department Traffic Unit at 843-965-4084 or contact Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111.
