Two people are dead but a child car seat saved the life of a 2-year-old girl in a deadly car crash in Kershaw County over the weekend.

“That car seat did its job — it saved that little girl’s life,” said Kershaw County Coroner Johnny Fellers.

But the child’s mother, Sinthya Talbert, 23, of Kershaw County, died in the incident’s aftermath, Fellers said.

The S.C. Highway Patrol reconstructed the incident this way: A Mercury Sable driven by Brent Ashley Nichols, 36, of Cassatt, was traveling north at a high rate of speed when it crossed a center line on U.S. 1 about 3 p.m. Saturday and sideswiped a Dodge pickup truck going south.

Nichols’ car went on to strike head-on the Camry driven by Talbert, a patrol spokesman said. Talbert’s car also was headed south.

Nichols was killed in the crash.

The Dodge pickup truck driver, William Keich, 42, of Kershaw County, was taken to Palmetto Health Richland. The extent of his injuries is not known.

Fellers said an autopsy would be performed on Nichols to see what may have caused him to lose control of his car.