Woman killed in crash near Waffle House identified by South Carolina coroner
Two people were taken to a hospital following a Wednesday crash and one of the victims has died, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Rose Oles, an 85-year-old Lugoff resident, is the victim who died in what Kershaw County Coroner David West called an accident.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 11:30 a.m. in Kershaw County, said Master Trooper William Bennett.
A 2024 Mazda SUV was driving north on Whiting Way, according to Bennett. Near the Waffle House at the intersection with U.S. 601, which is close to Exit 92 on Interstate 20, the SUV ran off the right side of Whiting Way and hit a guard rail before crashing into a tree, Bennett said.
Both the SUV driver and a passenger, later identified as Oles, were taken to Prisma Health Richland hospital, where the passenger died, according to Bennett.
Information on the driver’s condition was not available.
No other injuries were reported.
Oles was wearing a seat belt, West said. There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.
Information about what caused the SUV to veer off the road was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through July 20, at least 465 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2025, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, at least 948 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 10 people have died in Kershaw County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were 10 deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 8:19 AM.
