Driver and her 2-year-old son killed in crash on Midlands highway, SC coroner says
A woman and her 2-year-old son were killed when their car ran off a highway in the Midlands and crashed into several trees, the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday.
Winnsboro resident Ashley Hawkins and Mekia Simmons were the driver and passenger who died in the Dec. 31 accident, Coroner Chris Hill said in a news release.
Hawkins and Mekia died at the scene, according to Cpl. David Jones of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
At about 11:45 p.m., Hawkins was driving a 2021 Nissan Altima north on Interstate 77 when the vehicle ran off the right side of the highway at the 32 mile marker, Jones said. That’s near the Richland County line.
After veering off I-77, the car hit several trees and flipped over, according to Hill. As the Nissan overturned, Meika was ejected from the car, Hill said.
Autopsies to determine the causes of death are scheduled this week in Newberry.
No other injuries were reported.
Information about why the Nissan ran off the road was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.
At least 1,015 people died on South Carolina roads in 2022, according to the state Department of Public Safety. In Fairfield County, at least nine people died in crashes last year, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 12:09 PM.
