Students were killed in truck crash on Midlands road, coroner confirms
Two high school students were killed in an overnight crash that left another teenager hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the Saluda County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday.
Drayton Wade Black, 17, and Jaden Coleman, 16, died at the scene of the crash that occurred at about 10:15 p.m. Monday, Coroner Keith Turner told The State. Black was a senior at Saluda High, and Coleman was a junior, according to Turner.
Coleman’s brother was hurt in the crash and is being treated at Prisma Health Richland Hospital, Turner said.
A coach at Saluda High School told The State the teenager is in critical condition, but further information was not available.
The single-vehicle collision happened on Long Road in Saluda, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol. That is close to U.S. 378 and Coley Farm Road.
Black’s 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was heading south on Long Road when it ran off the left of the roadway and smashed into a tree, Master Trooper David Jones said.
Jaden Coleman was sitting in the front passenger seat, and was entrapped in the Chevy, according to Highway Patrol. Black and the back-seat passenger were both ejected from the pickup truck, Jones said.
None of the three occupants was wearing a seat belt, according to Jones.
Autopsies for Black and Jaden Coleman have been scheduled for Wednesday in Newberry, Turner said.
“Our hearts are heavy in Saluda County. Please keep our community in your thoughts and prayers,” Saluday County Schools said on Twitter.
A school official said classes were not canceled, but grief counselors and other support staff are on site at the district’s schools for students and staff members.
“In Saluda County Schools, the social and emotional health of our students and staff has been at the forefront of our work. This is even more important in times like these. We are maintaining our focus on students and staff at this time,” the school district said in a news release.
All three teens were student athletes. Black was on the high school baseball team, while the Coleman brothers both played football, according to the Batesburg-Leesville Panthers Athletic Booster Club.
Saluda is coming off the football team winning its first state championship since 1963.
The Saluda Baseball team’s twitter feed asked for prayers following the deaths.
“We are saddened by the tragedy that we woke up to this morning. Please keep our community in your thoughts and prayers,” the tweet said. “Please watch over the family, friends, and classmates of those involved.”
Information on what caused the truck to run off the road was not available, but the collision remains under investigation by Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.
Less than a month into 2020, 45 people have died on South Carolina roads, according to the Department of Public Safety. Of those deaths, 32 of the victims had access to seat belts, and 18 were not wearing safety restraints, DPS said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 12:18 PM.
