Two people killed and another person hospitalized after crash in South Carolina, cops say

Two people were killed Tuesday night and another person was injured in a crash involving a motorcycle and pedestrian, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Lexington County Coroner identified the pedestrian who died as Kevin Scott Collins, 63 and driver of the motorcycle James Leonard Ely III, 17.

The collision happened at about 9:55 p.m. in Lexington County, said Master Trooper Brandon Bolt.

Two people were riding on a 2006 Suzuki that was driving west on Kyzer Road in Lexington, according to Bolt. Near the intersection with Honors Court, about 2 miles from White Knoll High School, the motorcycle collided with a pedestrian who was walking across Kyzer Road, Bolt said.

The motorcycle then crashed into a wall and a tree, according to Bolt.

A passenger on the motorcycle was taken to an area hospital, according to Bolt.

Further information on the motorcycle passenger’s condition was not available.

No other injuries were reported.

Ely was wearing a helmet, but it was unclear if the passenger was.

Information about what caused the collision was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Sunday, 552 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 32 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 45 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS reported.

This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 12:43 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription