Two Midlands residents in their 20s killed in crash, coroner says
A man and a woman, both in their 20s, were killed in a crash on a Midlands road, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Shareka Chonto Wise, 21, of Prosperity, and Ryheim Quanteze Counts, 29, of Newberry, died in the early morning wreck, Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece said.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 1 a.m. Saturday, said Master Trooper Gary Miller of Highway Patrol.
Wise and Counts were in a 2013 Nissan Altima that was heading south on Boyds Crossing Road, according to Miller. When they were near the intersection with the Glenn Street Extension, and less than 4 miles from Newberry College, the car ran off the left side of the road and smashed into a tree, Miller said.
Neither Wise nor Counts was wearing a seat belt, and both died at the scene, according to Miller.
Information on who was driving was not made available.
No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol or the coroner’s office.
Autopsies have been scheduled for this week, according to Kneece.
There is no word on what caused the Nissan to veer off the road, but the collision continues to be investigated by Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.
Through Friday afternoon, 47 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, according to the Department of Public Safety. Of those, 34 of the victims had access to seat belts, but 17 were not wearing them, DPS reported.
Overall, 1,017 people died on South Carolina roads in 2020, DPS data shows. Of those, 695 had access to seat belts, but 347 were not wearing them, according to DPS.
There have been at least three people killed in Newberry County crashes in 2021, and seat belts were not used in any of the deadly collisions, DPS reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published January 24, 2021 at 10:47 AM.
