Driver in fatal hit-and-run arrested after new information leads to tip

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – A 29-year-old woman was arrested Thursday in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident on Highway 501 near Lake Busbee on Oct. 13, hours after the South Carolina Highway Patrol released new information on the involved vehicle that led to a tip.

Katelyn Delea Harris was booked at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Corporal Sonny Collins confirmed she was arrested in connection with the hit-and-run, and she will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death.

On Thursday morning, SCHP released a flyer indicating that a dark-colored truck with chrome or aluminum rims and a toolbox is believed to be the vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident on Highway 501 near Lake Busbee on Oct. 13.

Collins said in a tweet: "A driver is in custody thanks to a tip after seeing this flyer this morning. Your tips are vital in cases like this!"

The truck struck two pedestrians on Highway 501 South and fled the scene, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Officials did not know the make or model of the truck, but said it would have damage to the front passenger side.

The incident occurred on Highway 501 in the Lake Busbee area at approximately 3 a.m. on the morning of Friday, Oct. 13, according to SCHP. One pedestrian was killed.

Horry County Coroner Michelle McSpadden has identified confirmed the victim killed as 37-year-old Frank Jezierski, a Myrtle Beach resident. The other victim, identified as a 42-year-old woman, was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries.

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