Charleston police today arrested Max David Gentilin, 25, of Charleston, in connection with an April 28 hit-and-run accident that killed two 20-year-old Upstate women on Morrison Drive near the on-ramp to the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
Police said the investigation is still active, and more charges are expected.
“Sunday’s tragic notification to two families — a message no family ever deserves to receive — reminds us of the devastating impact of reckless decisions made by others,” Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker said in a press release. “Arianna [Gamber] and Lizzy [Zito], both just 20 years old, had their entire lives ahead of them. The choices we make are significant, and the decision made by the individual now in custody will have lifelong consequences.
“As we continue to pursue justice in this investigation, we recognize the weight of the grief that these families now carry as they face a future without Arianna and Lizzy,” he added. “Our hearts and continued prayers go out to them in their time of unimaginable loss.”
A citizen called authorities at 8:32 a.m. Sunday to report seeing two women unresponsive off the roadway. When officers arrived, the victims, now identified by the Charleston County Coroner’s Office as Simpsonville residents Lizzy Zito and Arianna Gamber, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Vehicle debris nearby as well as their proximity to the roadway prompted officers to initiate a hit-and-run investigation. According to the department, its Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) analyzed evidence from the collision scene and physical evidence from a vehicle of interest found near the collision scene. The victims were believed to have been walking north near a bike lane when the vehicle “veered to the right, left the lane of travel and struck the victims,” according to a police report.
Gentilin was determined by MAIT investigators to have been driving at the time of the collision. The report said he is thought to have left the scene without aiding or calling assistance. He is charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident causing death. He is in custody at the Al Cannon Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
This incident brings the total number of fatal traffic-related collisions investigated by Charleston police to three as of May 1, 2024.
Anyone with more information that may be pertinent to the investigation is asked to contact the Charleston Police Department Traffic Unit at (843) 965-4084 or contact Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at (843) 554-1111.
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