Two young South Carolina mothers were among the 4 people killed in a wrong-way crash on I-85 near Spartanburg Wednesday night, officials say.
The five-vehicle crash happened around 11 pm on I-85 northbound near Exit 68-South Carolina 129-Wellford.
The crash, in which the wrong-way driver died, closed the interstate highway for 6 hours overnight, SC Troopers said.
The identity of the deceased wrong-way driver has not been released, but all of the fatal victim’s names were released on Thursday.
Coroner Rusty Clevenger says Martha Marie Diaz, age 21, of Tinsley Heights Dr., Josh Leroy Smith, age 60 of Sawyer Rd., Shiree Lynette Whitaker, age 20, of Pierpont Ave Ext. all died on the scene, according to WYFF-TV.
27-year-old Edwin Ferguson died later at an area hospital.
Officials told WSPA-TV that alcohol was found inside a truck involved in the deadly crash.
It’s not clear which victims might have been in cars together – if any were. Officials have also not said which victims were in which vehicles in the crash.
Diaz and Whitaker are both friends on Facebook.
Whitaker, who was pregnant last year, leaves behind a several-month old baby boy, according to her profile on Facebook. Diaz had a toddler girl, according to her Facebook profile.
Before the crash, a SC Highway Patrol Trooper says he was traveling north on I-85 Business when he saw a driver going the wrong way in the next lane.
The trooper had to avoid being hit and he called dispatch, according to troopers.
State transport officers were also in the area, traveling southbound, trying to get the driver to stop.
The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol are conducting a joint investigation into the collision.
The causes of death are pending examination and toxicology at this time.
