On April 3, a crowd of University of South Carolina students stood silent outside of Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center. Some bowed their heads, while others took off their hats in respect. A group of four came with chalk. One sat down. On the sidewalk below the hundreds of flowers laid at the memorial, they wrote “NATE BAKER."
USC students mourned the loss of Nathaniel "Nate" Baker after a collision with a truck on Assembly Street took his life. Students created a memorial of flowers, pictures, notes and more to honor his legacy and show support for the people who loved him.
Leslie Baker, Nate Baker's mother, posted a statement about her son to her Facebook.
"As we move into the next few days, my prayer for everyone is that the space in your heart shines Nate’s light through grace and compassion," Leslie Baker said. "Grief is processed in many different ways. The darkness of anger and sorrow will rob us from the light of our joy. For those who knew Nate, look for him, he IS with you. For those who did not know Nate, look for the light that represents all the wonderful stories of light and laughter you may have heard. The Bakers are reciprocating to you all the love you are sending. We are blessed to have such a supportive tribe."
Nate Baker was a 21-year-old at the University of South Carolina. He was from Glen Allen, Virginia, where he attended Deep Run High School and was a student athlete. He was also a member of USC’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and a third-year student at the Darla Moore School of Business.
“Nate will always be remembered for the way he showed up for others and the impact he had on everyone around him,” the University of South Carolina's Phi Gamma Delta chapter wrote in a statement on Instagram. “His passion, loyalty, and love for this brotherhood will never be forgotten. May we honor his memory by living with the same kindness, selflessness and generosity that he showed to everyone around him.”
In a statement sent to students of Darla Moore, Dean Rohit Verma wrote that Nate Baker will be recommended for a posthumous degree.
On Thursday, students began to place flowers on the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center’s sign. The number grew as students came, placed their flowers and paid their respects.
Visitors had written dozens of messages in chalk around the monument. One message read, "YOU'RE IN THE PROMISED LAND BUDDY! — MOM."
Scott Melski, a fourth-year finance student, came to the memorial. He knelt before it and read the notes. He told The Daily Gamecock he witnessed the aftermath of the collision, and personally knew Nate Baker.
“I kept moving after I saw that because I could tell it was serious,” Melski said. “And the best place for me to be is out of the way, hoping that it was nobody that I knew. And unfortunately it was somebody that I knew and cared about.”
Melski had attended a concert with Nate Baker. In the short time he spent with him, Melski learned who Nate Baker was, he said.
“He carried this energy and this light that was so infectious. And just being around him made you want to be a better person and strive to be like Nate,” he said.
A memorial service for Nate Baker was held on Friday at Rutledge College on the Horseshoe.
A person stands in front of the memorial for Nathaniel Baker at Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center on April 5, 2025. Baker was fatally struck in a hit-and-run at the intersection of Assembly and Blossom streets on April 2, 2025.
National attention
Rosali Fernandez-Cruz, the driver of the truck, is an undocumented migrant. His migrant status has brought the accident attention from across the nation.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the accident.
“The hit & run driver was an alien in our country illegally,” Noem wrote in the post. “This tragedy should have never happened. I am praying for Nate, his family and loved ones. We will get Nate and his family justice.”
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina also released a statement on X stating that the policies of the administration of former President Joe Biden resulted in the accident.
“I am praying for his family, friends and the USC community, who are unfortunately suffering because of Biden’s failed immigration system that refused to put Americans first,” Scott wrote.
The Columbia Police Department found that Fernandez-Cruz is wanted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a press release.
A South Carolina magistrate judge denied Fernandez-Cruz bond. Fernandez-Cruz is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and will next appear in court on April 24.
Students’ safety concerns
The Daily Gamecock interviewed 21 students at the intersection of Assembly and Blossom streets about their thoughts on the safety of the intersection for pedestrians.
Fifteen of the 21 students reported that they have felt unsafe when crossing the intersection.
Third-year computer science student David Dinh said that pedestrians are hard to see in the evening due to the setting sun. Dinh said he has almost been hit by a car at the intersection.
Fifteen of the 21 students also said they witnessed dangerous situations at the intersection including cars running through red lights, students crossing when they don’t have the right-of-way and near misses between cars and pedestrians.
“Lots of the cars that are at a red light turning right, like when you're right there, just keep going and almost hit you,” first-year business student Sammy Lyons said.
Melski said he believes both pedestrians and drivers act dangerously at the intersection.
“I think it's a mix of pedestrians ignoring the signs in terms of, like, just trying to jog across when they think they're good, or the drivers just not caring and caring more about the 35 seconds that they'll save by running a red or running a slight yellow in order to get to their location,” Melski said.
Nineteen of the 21 students said they thought something should be done to improve the safety of the intersection.
First-year sports and entertainment management student Erin McLaughlin said that the traffic lights should be reassessed. She also said an upperclassman warned her about traffic safety.
“My first week on campus here I was told, ‘Kids get hit by cars’,” McLaughlin said. “And like, that's just a fact.”
Fourth-year operations and supply chain student Andrew Horan said that the number of lanes at the intersection may be confusing for drivers.
Second-year finance student Ben Nassif said the high amount of traffic is an issue that should be improved.
"(With) just how much traffic that's always here, there's always ... whenever there's a red light here, it's always filled up (with cars)," Nassif said.
Melski said he believes a police presence near the intersection would improve safety.
“Just having people understand and having the state of mind that when they come to this intersection, that there's a chance that when they run that yellow or run that red, that there are consequences to their actions Just to have them think about it for a second longer could save lives,” Melski said.
According to the Columbia Police Department, the intersection is managed by the South Carolina Department of Transportation. The City of Columbia has made plans to improve intersections along Assembly Street, but not the intersection on Blossom, according to a document provided by City of Columbia spokesperson Justin Stevens.
During Nate Baker's memorial service, his parents, Daniel and Leslie Baker, spoke in commemoration of their son. Daniel Baker shared the person that Nate Baker was.
"Nate could walk into a room, and he could spend fifteen minutes in that room," Daniel Baker said. "And when he left, a few of those people would think he's an entrepreneur, a few of those people would think he's a welder, a few would think he's a mechanic ... Several more might think he was a hunting and fishing guy ... But everyone would remember the conversation ... And take something away from it. Everyone would look forward to the next time they'd get to see him."