Two women were killed in a crash and driver is going to prison, SC sheriff says
Years after two women were killed in a fiery crash, the man who was driving the stolen vehicle involved in the wreck is going to prison, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
On Tuesday, 21-year-old Jaquice Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
Williams was given two concurrent 16-year sentences in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison, according to the release.
The punishment follows the 2023 deaths of 21-year-old West Columbia resident Makiya Alford and 19-year-old Columbia resident Keyona Bryant, the sheriff’s department said.
They died when a car chase that Williams was leading ended in a collision, according to the release.
In the early morning of July 17, 2023, a deputy saw a vehicle that was reported stolen out of the Columbia, the sheriff’s department said. When the deputy tried to make a traffic stop on Mallet Hill Road, the driver refused to pull over, according to the release.
The deputy lost sight of the vehicle, and while searching the area dispatch informed law enforcement that a vehicle had crashed at 811 Mallet Hill Road and was on fire, the sheriff’s department said. That’s in a part of Columbia between Sesquicentennial State Park and I-20.
The first deputies to arrive used an extinguisher to put out the fire, according to the sheriff’s department.
Williams, the driver, was injured in the crash and taken to an area hospital, while two passengers in the vehicle — later identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office as Alford and Bryant — were killed in the crash, according to the release.
On Aug. 4, 2023, Williams was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and no bond was set, Richland County court records show. When he was arrested, Williams was also charged with two counts of reckless homicide and a single count of possession of a stolen vehicle, the sheriff’s department said. Information about those charges was not available, but as of April 2, Williams was still listed on the Richland County jail’s inmate roster.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Solicitor Paul Walton, of the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Chelsey Marto was listed as Williams attorney, according to court records.
“This sentence reflects a measure of justice for the two lives that were tragically taken,” said Sheriff Leon Lott. “While no outcome can ever replace what was lost, we are grateful that Williams accepted responsibility for his actions and was held accountable.”
Williams was out on bond from a previous arrest when the deadly crash happened, court records show.
On June 7, 2023, Williams was arrested by the Columbia Police Department for discharging a firearm and unlawful carry of a weapon, the sheriff’s department said. Williams was released the following day after posting $20,000 bond, according to officials.
Those charges have not been resolved, according to jail records.
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This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 8:33 AM.
