Speeding truck runs stop sign and crashes with SUV, killing two teens, SC officials say

Two teenagers were killed and more people were hurt when a stolen pickup truck collided with an SUV, South Carolina officials said. The two-vehicle collision happened at about 9 p.m. Saturday in Florence, police[1] said in a news release.

Officers responded to reports of a crash on Kershaw Street, near Gaillard Street[2], according to the release. When they arrived, officers discovered a Chevrolet Silverado pickup had collided with a Ford Flex SUV, before the truck crashed into a power pole, police said. The Chevy, which had been reported stolen in Florence County earlier in the weekend, was speeding and ran a stop sign when it hit the SUV, according to the release.

Police called the Chevy the “at fault vehicle.” There were two people in the Chevy, and one had been removed by bystanders by the time officers arrived, police said. The other occupant was trapped inside the pickup and had to be extricated by fire crews, according to the release.

Both pickup occupants died at the scene, police said. The Florence County Coroner’s Office[3] said 14-year-old Tylik Charles and 16-year-old Ameria Dava Grant[4] were the Chevy occupants, WMBF reported. The coroner said both teens were Florence residents, according to WBTW.

There was no word about which teenager was driving the pickup. Information about the number of people in the SUV was not available, but police said they were taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Further information on the SUV occupants’ conditions was not available.

No other injuries were reported. Although the stolen pickup was speeding, police said “no officers were in the area or aware of the vehicle prior to the crash.” There was no word if anyone involved in the crash was wearing a seat belt.

The crash continues to be investigated[5] by police and the coroner’s office, WBTW reported. Through Sunday, 908 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023[6], according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 22 people have died in Florence County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data.

There were 39 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported.

References

1. ^ Florence, police (www.cityofflorence.com)
2. ^ Kershaw Street, near Gaillard Street (www.google.com)
3. ^ Florence County Coroner’s Office (florenceco.org)
4. ^ Tylik Charles and 16-year-old Ameria Dava Grant (www.wmbfnews.com)
5. ^ crash continues to be investigated (www.wbtw.com)
6. ^ 908 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023 (fatality-count-scdps.hub.arcgis.com)