Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle in Columbus. Victim identified
A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle June 24 in Columbus, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred on St. Mary’s Road near Ford Drive, according to a post on the Columbus Police Department’s X page.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said the victim was 29-year-old Esteban Lopez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Lopez was pronounced dead at 10:04 p.m. at a local hospital.
Bryan said the incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. at the intersection of St. Mary’s Road and Leary Avenue. Lopez suffered blunt force trauma, according to Bryan.
Bryan said charges were pending the day after the incident and the driver was detained. But CPD Public Information Officer Brittany Santiago said Wednesday that no one was detained — the driver of the vehicle was questioned and released.
Santiago said there have been no arrests or charges at this time. The case is still active and under investigation, according to Santiago.
CPD’s Motor Squad is leading the investigation, according to the police department’s post.
Additional information wasn’t immediately released.
This story is ongoing and will be updated as new information becomes available.
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM.