Charlotte, NC (November 10, 2026) - Niceforo Garcia-Rufino, 43, died after a vehicle struck him on East Arrowood Road near Nations Ford Road in southwest Charlotte on Tuesday night. A driver was arrested two days later in connection with the crash.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police responded at about 8:51 p.m. to the 100 block of East Arrowood Road. Police said Garcia-Rufino was crossing the road when a speeding vehicle struck him and left the scene. He died at the scene.

Investigators later located the red Mercedes-Benz involved in the collision. Jeremy Gabriel Trujillo, 47, was arrested November 12 on charges of felony hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death and reckless driving, according to Mecklenburg County jail records. Those charges are allegations and have not been established by a conviction.

What an Arrest Changes for a Family Seeking Answers

An arrest gives a family new information about the criminal investigation. It identifies a person accused of an offense and moves the case into a court process. It does not resolve all of the family’s questions about the collision, the loss or any available civil options.

A civil claim after a fatal crash examines whether wrongful conduct caused the death and what losses the law permits recovery for. The criminal case addresses the alleged offenses. Evidence gathered during an investigation may be relevant to both, but a charge is not a civil compensation award.

In North Carolina, a qualifying wrongful-death action is brought by the deceased person’s personal representative or collector. That person’s authority matters when a family seeks to pursue a claim. A pedestrian accident lawyer can explain the representative’s role and review the investigation with the family, including what evidence connects the identified driver to the fatal collision.

The family’s losses also require individual attention. Qualifying expenses and losses may include funeral costs and the income, services and companionship the person provided. An evaluation should reflect that person’s life and relationships, rather than assume that the seriousness of a criminal allegation determines the amount of a claim.

Answers Beyond the Initial Search for a Driver

Investigators have located the vehicle and an arrest has been made in connection with Garcia-Rufino’s death. For his family, those developments are part of understanding what happened, while the loss itself reaches beyond the criminal proceedings. A careful explanation of the investigation and civil process can help the family understand the questions that remain.