Driver killed in multi-vehicle crash is identified by Lexington County coroner
One person was killed Wednesday night in a crash at a busy Lexington County intersection, according to the West Columbia Police Department.
Tawatha Yolanda Evans, a 47-year-old Lexington resident, died in the accident, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said.
The two-vehicle collision happened before 8:30 p.m., police said.
The collision occurred at the intersection of Platt Springs Road and Dreher Road, according to police. That’s in a part of West Columbia that’s densely packed with restaurants and businesses, not far from the Congaree River.
Evans was driving a vehicle west on Platt Springs Road when she failed to stop at a red light and hit another vehicle, Fisher said.
Evans, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to an area hospital where she later died from the injuries she suffered in the accident, according to Fisher.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no word if any of the other people involved in the crash were wearing seat belts, but the wreck continues to be investigated by police and the coroner’s office.
Through Saturday, 950 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 43 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. There were 43 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published December 21, 2023 at 10:52 AM.
