A man in the road was hit by a southbound vehicle near Ashley Town Center on Oct. 22, police said. It is the city's 13th fatal crash of 2026 and the sixth to kill a pedestrian.

A man was struck and killed by a vehicle on Savannah Highway in West Ashley on Thursday night, the Charleston Police Department said.

It happened at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, near 2250 Savannah Highway, close to Ashley Town Center Drive. Police said the man was in the roadway when a southbound vehicle hit him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No charges have been filed, the department said. Its Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating. The department’s release was posted Friday.

What the police said

  • Who responded: Charleston police officers, the Charleston Fire Department, EMS and the Charleston County Coroner’s Office.
  • The road: Southbound Savannah Highway was closed at Ashley Town Center while investigators documented the scene. It reopened around 11 p.m.
  • The man’s name: The coroner’s office will release it “at the appropriate time,” police said. We will not name him before it does.
  • Information: Anyone who can help is asked to call the Police Department’s Traffic Unit at 843-965-4084.

The 13th fatal crash this year

Police said this is the 13th fatal traffic crash the department has investigated in 2026. Six of the 13 killed a pedestrian, the most common kind. The department gave this breakdown:

Type of crash Fatal crashes in 2026
Vehicle vs. pedestrian 6
Vehicle vs. vehicle 3
Single vehicle 3
Vehicle vs. bike 1
Bar chart of the 13 fatal traffic crashes Charleston police have investigated in 2026: six vehicle vs. pedestrian, three vehicle vs. vehicle, three single vehicle and one vehicle vs. bike.
Chart by Charleston News Today, from the Charleston Police Department release of Oct. 23.
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The figures cover only crashes the Charleston Police Department itself investigated.

What it means for you

  • If you drove that stretch Thursday night and saw anything, the Traffic Unit wants to hear from you at 843-965-4084.
  • Savannah Highway is U.S. 17, a state road. Concerns about crossings, lighting or signals go to SCDOT at 855-467-2368, and city street concerns to the Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311.
  • See our Police and Fire log and road closures page.

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