Lexington County man drank, used meth before I-20 crash that killed his friend

A Lexington County man was under the influence of methamphetamine and alcohol when he tried to pass traffic on Interstate 20 and crashed last Labor Day weekend, killing his 21-year-old friend, according to prosecutors.

Marshall Brandon McFarland, 37, pleaded guilty Monday to felony DUI resulting in death, according to a release from the 11th Circuit solicitor’s office. Circuit Court Judge Eugene Griffith Jr. sentenced McFarland to seven years in prison. State law classifies the charge as a “no parole” offense.

The deadly crash happened Sept. 2, 2017, on I-20 in Lexington County, prosecutors said. Wyatt Duval, 21, of Lugoff, was a passenger in an Acura driven by McFarland when McFarland got into the emergency lane and tried to unlawfully pass another car in a construction zone near mile marker 60.

McFarland lost control of the car, causing it to overturn several times, prosecutors said. Duval, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car and died at the scene.

Troopers determined McFarland was under the influence of meth and had a blood-alcohol content of .091, over the legal limit of .08.

“These are the most preventable tragedies,” Assistant Solicitor Todd Wagoner, who prosecuted the case, said during sentencing.

Duval’s mother addressed the court during sentencing, saying she can’t bring her son back, but “there must be some justice for innocent victims who cannot speak for themselves,” according to the release.

This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 12:57 PM.