Driver accused in death of school worker had been drinking since 6 am, police say
The man accused of fatally striking a pedestrian with his car near Murrells Inlet last week told officers he had been drinking since 6 a.m., his arrest warrant claims.
Camerino Antonio Hernandez, 39, was arrested by South Carolina Highway Patrol for driving under the influence after striking Elizabeth Coss, 60, with his car and killing her as she walked on the sidewalk on the afternoon of Sept. 30, 2025, The Sun News previously reported.
Officers followed the white 2001 Chevrolet van identified by witnesses as the one that struck Coss to a nearby Starbucks parking lot, and could smell an alcoholic odor on him as they spoke to him, the arrest warrant states.
Hernandez also had “glassy bloodshot eyes and his speech was slurred,” the warrant states. After being transported to the hospital, Hernandez told a trooper that he had been drinking since 6 a.m., the warrant continues.
The collision took place at 4:25 p.m. on SC 707 near the intersection of Starbuck Lake Road in Murrells Inlet. Hernandez was traveling south when his car ran off the right side of the road and struck Coss.
Coss, a paraprofessional at St. James High School, located at 10800 SC 707 in Murrells Inlet, appeared to be walking home from work when the incident occurred. Coss was listed on the high school’s website as a special education aide.
Hernandez was the sole occupant of his van, and suffered undisclosed injuries. He remains at J. Reuben Long Detention Center without bail on charges of driving without a license and felony driving under the influence.
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 1:20 PM.
