Multiple drivers died in head-on crash on I-77, South Carolina cops say

Two people were killed early in the morning on Easter Sunday in a wrong-way collision on a stretch of Interstate 77 in Richland County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

William Vazquez-Hernadez, a 26-year-old Lexington resident, as well as 62-year-old Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania resident Mark McCormick were identified as the crash victims, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said Monday.

The two-vehicle collision happened at about 4:05 a.m. Sunday, said Cpl. Nick Pye.

A 2023 Toyota SUV was driving north on I-77, while a 2017 Chevrolet pickup truck was heading south in the northbound lanes, according to Pye. The Toyota and Chevy collided near I-77s 10-mile marker, Pye said. That’s near the junction with Fort Jackson Boulevard in Columbia.

Both the Toyota and the Chevy driver died, Pye said. There was no word about which man was driving the Chevy and who was driving the Toyota.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word if either of the drivers were wearing a seatbelt.

Information about why the Chevy was driving in the wrong direction toward oncoming traffic was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.

Through March 29, at least 173 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2026, according to the state Department of Public Safety. A minimum of 914 people were killed in collisions in South Carolina in 2025, DPS data shows.

At least 11 people have died in Richland County crashes this year, and 48 people died in wrecks there in 2025, according to DPS data.

This story was originally published April 6, 2026 at 7:19 AM.

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