Man killed in downtown Columbia by suspected drunk driver identified by coroner

Two people using a crosswalk to walk across a busy downtown road Sunday night were hit by a vehicle, according to the Columbia Police Department. One of the pedestrians has died while another was hospitalized, and the driver has been arrested on multiple DUI charges, police said Monday on social media.

Malcolm D. Johnson, a 29-year-old Columbia resident, is the person who died, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said Tuesday.

Randall Miller, 29, was charged with felony DUI resulting in death, felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury and open container (beer/wine), officials said.

Police first reported the crash at 10:55 p.m. Sunday, when they said that a serious collision temporarily closed down the westbound lanes of Gervais Street and the northbound lanes of Park Street. That’s a block from Assembly Street and the South Carolina State House.

Miller is accused of being impaired when he was driving in downtown, and running a stop light where he crashed into Johnson and female pedestrian who were in the crosswalk, according to police.

Both pedestrians were taken to an area hospital, where Johnson was pronounced dead, police said.

The female pedestrian remains hospitalized with serious injuries, police said. Further information on her condition was not available.

Miller was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center Monday and remains behind bars after his bond was denied, jail records show.

“The loss of Mr. Malcolm Johnson is a heartbreaking tragedy that has deeply impacted his family, loved ones, and our entire community,” Rutherford said in a news release.

This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 11:27 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription