Midlands man was run over, now his neighbor is charged in the homicide, officials say
After a months-long investigation, a Midlands man was arrested for fatally hitting a neighbor with a vehicle, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
Ronnie George Branham, 62, was charged with voluntary manslaughter, jail records show.
The charge stems from the Nov. 13, 2021, death of Ronald M. Zarko Jr., Kershaw County Coroner David West told The State Thursday.
Branham and Zarko both lived on Love Road in Kershaw, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a Nov. 15, 2021, news release from the sheriff’s office, deputies said Branham called 911 to say he had argued and fought with Zarko before hitting him with his vehicle. Branham said he pulled his vehicle into Zarko’s driveway to ask about a set of tires that he had for sale.
The sheriff’s office said Branham told them an argument and fight followed — all while Branham was still seated inside his vehicle.
Branham told deputies that the collision happened as he was backing out of Zarko’s driveway, with the 61-year-old chasing him on foot.
Branham then drove home and called 911, according to his account to the sheriff’s office.
A deputy went to check on Zarko, but was given the wrong address, according to the sheriff’s office.
About four hours passed before Zarko was located at the correct address, but he had died, the sheriff’s office said. Zarko suffered injuries to his pelvis and lower body, and blunt force trauma was his cause of death, West said.
Other than Branham and Zarko, there were no other witnesses to the incident, according to the sheriff’s office. With only Branham’s account of events, it took investigators months to examine “a large amount of crime scene” and for results of forensic lab work to be completed, the sheriff’s office said.
An autopsy was performed in Newberry, and ultimately homicide was listed as Zarko’s manner of death, according to West.
“This was a long, multi-agency investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Along with the sheriff’s office and the coroner’s office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the 5th Circuit Solicitors Office assisted in the investigation.
Branham is being held in the Kershaw County Detention Center, and no bond has been set, jail records show.
A funeral service was held for Zarko on Nov. 18, 2021, at Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery, according to an obituary. He was survived by his fiancé, five children, 15 grandchildren, and a great grandchild, among other family members.
“Ron didn’t deserve to die the way he did but I know he is with our Lord and his mother and brother so rest in paradise Ron you will be forever missed,” an ex-wife of Zarko’s said in an online tribute.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Midlands man was run over, now his neighbor is charged in the homicide, officials say."
