Bluffton man is identified as pedestrian killed when struck by car on US 278 Saturday

A Bluffton man died after being struck by a car while walking across U.S. 278 on Saturday, according to officials.

Valentin Mendoza, 51, of Bluffton was pronounced dead at Coastal Carolina Hospital shortly after emergency responders answered the call that a pedestrian had been hit in Bluffton Saturday night, according to Beaufort County Deputy Coroner Debbie Youmans.

Close to 9:30 p.m., Mendoza was walking in the crosswalk at U.S. 278 and Simmonsville Road when a car going west struck him, according to Bluffton Police Department Capt. Joe Babkiewicz.

The car was a small SUV, he said.

The wreck is being investigated by the department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit.

Youmans said an autopsy for Mendoza is scheduled for Tuesday.

Jake Shore

The Island Packet

843-560-9620

Jake Shore is a senior writer covering breaking news for The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. He reports on criminal justice, police, and the courts system in Beaufort and Jasper Counties. Jake originally comes from sunny California and attended school at Fordham University in New York City. In 2020, Jake won a first place award for beat reporting on the police from the South Carolina Press Association.