Settlement reached after 2024 crash that killed pedestrian near Beaufort
Less than a year after a 62-year-old pedestrian was fatally struck on a Beaufort County highway, her relatives’ attorneys agreed on a small settlement with the man who was behind the wheel.
The $50,000 payout resolved the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the driver about four months after the deadly crash. The driver, 30-year-old Nathaniel James Obie of the Sheldon area, denied that the fatality was “the result of any negligence or recklessness” on his part, according to the settlement agreement filed Monday in Beaufort County court.
Catherine “Kitten” Weichbrodt, a Beaufort resident, was crossing U.S. 21 (Trask Parkway) on Nov. 18. when she died on impact in the collision with Obie’s Toyota sedan, which was traveling south. It happened 40 minutes after sunset near the highway’s intersection with Salt Creek Drive, slightly south of the entrance to the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
The subsequent lawsuit claimed Obie was driving “at a high rate of speed” while distracted or inattentive. He “struck (Weichbrodt) violently with his vehicle” as he failed to keep a proper lookout of the road in front of him, the court filings alleged.
Despite his denial of the allegations, Obie’s insurance company agreed to pay the full settlement “in the interest of compromise,” the settlement agreement says. His plan allowed for a maximum payout of $50,000 per accident.
Patrick Carr, a Hilton Head Island attorney who represented Weichbrodt’s family in the lawsuit, said he still believed there was negligence involved in the crash. However, he said, the outcome of the case was largely dictated by Obie’s limited insurance coverage.
Weichbrodt was born in New York and had two daughters. She was described in her obituary as an “outspoken, carefree spirit” with a love for butterflies, the ocean and “all shades of purple.” Her love for nature led her to her job at the Ober Gatlinburg ski resort in Tennessee.
“She felt most at peace when outdoors and would wander aimlessly in such a way as to take in every element of God’s creation,” her obituary read.
She was one of five pedestrians killed on Beaufort County roadways last year. A total of 26 people died in traffic-related incidents across the county in 2024.
Trask Parkway consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous roadways in Beaufort County by collision count, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Obie did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM.
