18-year-old charged after law enforcement chase ends in car crash, two deaths
The Richland County Sheriff’s department said it arrested an 18-year-old following the death of two women in a car crash.
Jaquice Williams was charged with reckless homicide Friday after he fled a traffic stop on Mallet Hill Road on July 17.
Williams was charged with two counts of reckless homicide, two counts of failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death and one count of possessing a stolen vehicle valued at more than $10,000.
Deputies say that they attempted to stop a 2019 Honda SUV that had been reported stolen out of Columbia when the car fled.
A deputy lost sight of the vehicle as it approached Polo Road, according to a statement released by the sheriff’s office. As deputies searched for the vehicle, they were notified by dispatch that a vehicle had crashed and was on fire at 811 Mallet Hill Road near Sesquicentennial State Park.
The first deputies on scene used an extinguisher to put out the fire, according to the statement.
Williams, the driver, was injured in the crash and taken to the hospital. The two passengers in the vehicle were killed in the crash.
The Richland County Coroner previously identified the victims as Makiya Alford, 21, of West Columbia, and Keyona Bryant, 19, of Columbia.
The vehicle had swerved off the road and struck a tree, a fire hydrant and a fence, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
In a statement, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott criticized bond courts for releasing Williams a month prior, when he was arrested on Columbia Police Department on June 7 for discharging a firearm and unlawful carry of a weapon. He was released on bond the next day, according to the sheriff’s department.
“This man’s lawlessness cost two young people their lives,” Lott said. “He should not have been on the streets in the first place.”
Williams is incarcerated at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. No bond has been set yet.
This story was originally published August 5, 2023 at 2:51 PM.