MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — An 18-year-old Myrtle Beach, S.C., man is charged with reckless homicide in a fiery three-vehicle crash on the U.S. 17 Bypass last month that killed a 37-year-old driver, the Myrtle Beach Police Department said Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Police identified the suspect as Nathan Anthony Arroyo. He was taken into custody by members of the department’s Traffic Unit and Warrants Team assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force.
The crash happened Sept. 27 on the U.S. 17 Bypass near Pine Island Road. The man who died was identified as Serhii Babak, 37, of Myrtle Beach, by Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard.
According to an earlier police report, a northbound Ford F-150 crossed the center median into the southbound lanes and hit the front of a Chevrolet Traverse that Babak was driving in the correct lane. The collision stopped both vehicles, and a Chevrolet Cruze traveling behind the Traverse then struck it from behind. A witness driving behind the pickup told police it had passed several vehicles at a high rate of speed before losing control, veering left and crossing the median.
Two of the vehicles caught fire, and firefighters brought the flames under control. Emergency calls about a vehicle fire with people trapped inside began around 9:20 a.m., and the southbound bypass was shut down. All three drivers were taken to the hospital. Police said they learned around 5 p.m. that Babak had died.
Police said the investigation remains active. A charge is an accusation, and Arroyo is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
