Lowcountry Man Sentenced To Prison Following Fatal Drunk Driving Accident

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The office of South Carolina fourteenth circuit solicitor Duffie Stone announced this week that a Bluffton, S.C. man who killed an infant passenger during a drunk driving accident in 2024 had been sentenced to prison.

On Tuesday (April 1, 2025), Gregorio Hernandez-Castillo pleaded guilty to driving under the influence resulting in death – as well as child endangerment and driving under suspension – following the death of four-month-old Starlette Guzman.

On May 12, 2024, Hernandez-Castillo was the driver during a single-vehicle crash that took place at around 11:25 p.m. EDT. Upon responding to the scene, officers of the Bluffton Police Department (BPD) and S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) troopers found the vehicle with “heavy front-end damage in the median resting against a tree.”

According to the release, Guzman had not been properly restrained in her child seat – and her body was found in the road next to the vehicle unresponsive. In an attempt to save Guzman’s life, first responders performed CPR and used an AED, but the infant died at the scene.

The child’s grandmother – who was in the passenger seat – was taken to Savannah Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

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“This defendant has a history of drunken and irresponsible driving,” deputy solicitor Mary Jordan Lempesis said. “Tragically, an infant has now paid with her life for Mr. Hernandez-Castillo’s disregard for the law.”

Hernandez-Castillo’s criminal history includes convictions in South Carolina for driving under the influence and driving under suspension. He was also convicted of DUI in Georgia.

Hernandez-Castillo – who identified himself at the scene with a Mexican passport – confirmed that he was the driver and admitted to driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. He claimed a deer ran out in front of the vehicle and that he lost control when he swerved to avoid it.

Upon inspection of the car, officers discovered the child seat was facing the wrong way and improperly strapped to the rear seat. They also located a 16-ounce beer can in the driver’s side cup holder.

The release noted that Hernandez-Castillo smelled of alcohol and failed a field sobriety test, and was later found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.18 about an hour and a half after the crash.

Hernandez-Castillo was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $10,100 in restitution by circuit court judge Marvin Dukes.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from J. L. Mann High School in 2021. She is currently a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.

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