'A true island girl' — Hilton Head remembers 11-year-old killed while crossing U.S. 278

An 11-year-old Hilton Head Island girl described as "bright, cheerful and involved in everything" was killed Thursday night when she was struck by a car while she was in a crosswalk with her dog on U.S. 278.

Charli Jorden Bobinchuck, the daughter of Daisy and Bryan Bobinchuck, co-owners of Catch 22 Seafood and Steaks, died when she was hit by a Toyota that was traveling east on the highway just before 11 p.m., according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. She was a student at Hilton Head Elementary School.

She was identified as the accident victim by Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen on Friday morning.

Neighbors and family friends remember Charli as an animal advocate and "island girl" with many talents.

"She was in the gifted and talented program, which is something you have to qualify for," said Sarah Owen, principal of Hilton Head Island Elementary School. "And she was also on student council, which is something you're elected to by your classmates."

Charli was in the school's Spanish dual-language program, Owen said, explaining that half the curriculum is taught in that tongue. And, as a fifth-grader this past year, she was a first-place winner in the school's science fair.

Owen said Charli's cohort had spent the past five years together and was extremely close. Some of the children — Owen's son included — are already planning ways to honor their classmate. Some of the girls are encouraging everyone to wear blue in memory of Charli on Saturday, Owen said.

"She was obviously well-rounded and liked by everyone," Owen said. "As preteens, that's kind of a unique situation, where you're liked by everyone. ... There was something special about her that made all kids be able to relate to her and appreciate her."

Family friends and neighbors Linda Prosser and John Suszko have memories of Charli playing with other kids in the Yacht Cove community.

"She was a big sister to all the kids in Yacht Cove," Prosser said.

"She was a true island girl," Suszko said.

Suszko said Charli was an exceptional makeup makeup artist who enjoyed Halloween, short films, animation and puppet shows.

"We always said if she was gonna do one thing, she was either going be a veterinarian or she was going be a moviemaker," Suszko said.

Charli advocated removing plastic bags, straws and litter from the beach, Prosser said, and while she loved starfish and crabs, she never took them home.

"Because she knew they were living," Prosser said. "You put them back."

Her love of animals came from her parents, Prosser said, and Charli had planned to work with the Maffo family at Critter Management this summer.

Dana Maffo remembered Charli as she fought back tears on the phone Friday afternoon.

"(Charli) was here a lot, several hours a week with us," Maffo said. "She helped clean cages, she educated other children (about snakes and alligators) — she wore Critter Management shirts all the time. She was our future employee."

Maffo said Charli would assist with educational programs and held animals for other kids so they could pet them.

"When I had a new animal, and I said 'I don't have a name for it,' she would look (a word) up — in Greek, something beautiful — and tell me the meaning and say, 'How about that?'"

Lee Wood Sr. and Chuck Osting — owners of Casey’s Sports Bar & Grille, next to Catch 22 — heard the news Friday morning as they were readying the bar for opening.

Wood remembered Charli sometimes helping her parents at work while doing homework in the back of Catch 22.

"Just a bright, cheerful, fluttering-all-over-the-place, involved-in-everything (kind of girl)," Wood said. "Great personality, beautiful like her mom."

"Ever since moving down from Ann Arbor, Michigan, (15 years ago), Bryan and Daisy have been tremendously friendly," Osting said. "Not only to me, but everyone in my family. And they did a marvelous job grooming Charli."

The accident

Charli and the adult she was walking with were in the crosswalk at the time she was struck, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report.

The accident happened near the highway's intersection with Marina Side Drive, according to Lance Cpl. Judd Jones of the Highway Patrol. Jones said the accident was under investigation.

The Sheriff's Office report said the driver was given a battery of tests at the scene and was not under the influence of alcohol.

Witness Drew Meneely of Hilton Head was on his way toward the Cordillo area after seeing a movie Thursday night at Northridge Cinema when he saw "blue lights all over — so many blue lights."

It was about 11:15 p.m., he said, and the road was blocked off, so he turned right onto Marina Side Drive and came back out onto U.S. 278 near DryDock Seafood and Spirits. He said he saw "twisted metal."

"It was a major accident," Meneely said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Jones said. The dog also was killed. The adult walking with the child was not injured.

Allen said an autopsy was to be performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston on Friday.

The accident was at least the second fatality in the area involving a pedestrian.

On Feb. 16, 2017, a 78-year-old woman walking with her bicycle was struck and killed near Shelter Cove Towne Center by a Honda minivan traveling east on U.S. 278. That crash occurred about a mile away from Thursday's accident.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 7:19 AM with the headline "'A true island girl' — Hilton Head remembers 11-year-old killed while crossing U.S. 278."