Highway patrol report reveals new details about crash that killed three teens

The South Carolina Highway Patrol released a traffic collision report Friday of the crash that killed three Horry County teens just prior to the Christmas holiday.

The report said the driver was “driving too fast for conditions,” before the vehicle ran off the left side of Bay Road, struck a ditch, then a tree before it overturned about 3:15 a.m. on Dec. 22.

The report, which was obtained by The Sun News through a Freedom of Information Act request, identified the victims as Hailey Parsons, Kai-Lei Schumal and Yamila Alcoser Silva. Parsons was the driver, according to the report.

The Horry County Coroner’s Office initially refused to release the names of the victims at the request of the girls’ families, but did identify them as a 14-year-old St. James Middle School student, a 15-year-old St. James High School student and a 15-year-old Socastee High School student.

However, the Coroner’s Office did release the names Friday afternoon, hours after the release of the SCHP report.

Parsons, who was 15, was not eligible for a driver’s license under state law.

The vehicle’s speed was not listed in the report, which states the estimated speed was removed from the report pending a review from the Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team, which is still investigating.

The tree the girls hit was marred by the crash, and since their deaths, memorials in the form of three bright pink crosses now mark the site along with flowers and other mementos.

An online obituary for Hailey Renee Parsons-Kannegieser says she was a St. James High School student who was born in Summerville.

“She had a wonderful sense of humor and could make friends with anybody. She also loved to travel, the styles of the 1920’s, art and the ocean. She touched the hearts of many people,” the obituary states.

An online obituary for Kai-Lei Nichole Schumal says she was a 14-year-old who “will be remembered for her beautiful smile and her bold spirit.”

“She may have been a little shy with words but she could speak volumes with her face whether she was smiling, sulking, rolling her eyes, or laughing. She was a vibrant compassionate soul who was always the protector of the underdog. She loved animals of all varieties, dancing, making videos and pictures, and spending time with friends and family,” the obituary states.

Tiffany Schumal, Kai-Lei’s mother, told our Grand Strand news alliance partner, WPDE, that Kai-Lei snuck out that night.

An online obituary for Naomi ‘Yamila’ Alcoser Silva lists her as 15-year-old and having extended family in Costa Rica and Nicaragua in addition to immediate family.

Since the tragic crash, some in the community have called for changes to be made to Bay Road and for guardrails to be added to protect motorists from the steep ditches along the road.

Improvements will be made to the road as part of an existing safety project, but some county councilmen questioned whether guardrails were the answer, and one said he wanted to wait to learn the outcome of the crash investigation before making a decision.

Sun News staff writers Audrey Hudson and Emily Weaver contributed to this report.

This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 9:19 PM with the headline "Highway patrol report reveals new details about crash that killed three teens."