The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is investigating a fatal crash that claimed the life of one man. Major Crash Investigation Unit detectives identified the driver and vehicle involved in the case. A news release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reveals that a pedestrian was struck by a red 2008 Ford F-150 while crossing North Sharon Amity Road before the driver fled the scene.

The pedestrian was identified as Sheridan Eugene Channing Brown. On December 29, 2023, the driver, Melvin Alexis Barahona Zapata, was located by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department in Mississippi. Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Felony Hit and Run.

The Sheriff’s Department arrested Barahona Zapata on the outstanding warrant. CMPD Major Crash Investigation Unit detectives traveled to Mississippi to interview Barahona Zapata and retrieve evidence that was in the custody of the DeSoto Sheriff’s Department.