Myrtle Beach man pleads guilty, sentenced in 2023 hit-and-run death of Elon student

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A Myrtle Beach man charged in the hit-and-run death of an Elon University student last year was sentenced, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said.

Jason Sauro pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery in the death of 21-year-old Jackson Yelle. Judge Alex Hyman sentenced Sauro to 10 years in prison suspended to five years probation.

Sauro must also submit to random drug and alcohol testing along with other requirements set by the state Department of Probation, according to the solicitor’s office. He faces 10 years in prison if he does not follow all the conditions of his probation.

Sauro did not have a prior criminal record, the solicitor’s office said. During a bond hearing in May 2023, a judge found he had a 2011 traffic offense but was found not guilty of it in 2012.

Yelle, a junior from North Eastham, Massachusetts, was killed while he was on a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach with members of the Club Baseball team, the university said.

“The death of a student is a heartbreaking loss,” the university said in a statement after Yelle’s death. “Please keep Jackson’s family and friends in your thoughts at this challenging time and continue to care for each other in the days and weeks ahead.”

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

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