Former Lexington teacher pleads guilty in DUI crash that killed Cayce man

Eighteen months after killing a Cayce man during a drunken driving accident, a former elementary school teacher pleaded guilty to felony DUI charges in a Lexington court and was sentenced to seven years, according to a court statement.

Nicole Wilson, 30, who taught at Rocky Creek Elementary School, was driving on Sunset Boulevard when she ran a red light and hit Roger Wayne Johnson, 75.

Johnson died from injuries he sustained during the crash on the night of Jan. 5, 2017. He was picking up his grandchild from work at Applebee’s in Harbison, but the grandchild did not suffer life-threatening injuries in the crash, according to a court statement.

Witnesses at the scene said they could smell alcohol on Wilson’s breath, according to a court statement.

According to court documents, Wilson had been drinking all day at D’s Wings in Cayce and at a kickball tournament in West Columbia when she got in her car. Her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, measured at .20, according to a court statement.

Wilson pleaded guilty to DUI with death, which comes with no option for parole.

Though Wilson pleaded guilty to the criminal charges, she still faces a wrongful death suit from Johnson’s estate, according to court documents.

This story was originally published July 27, 2018 at 10:32 AM.