DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – A single-vehicle crash in Darlington County leaves five people dead, including one unborn child, and multiple others injured.
According to Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee, the crash happened before midnight Friday on Rogers Road. Hardee initially reported that two unborn children were killed in the crash but later corrected that information to be one unborn child and another child who was in the vehicle, but that child’s age was not released.
The vehicle carrying eleven people was traveling east and at some point left the road and overturned, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The driver and two other passengers were thrown from the vehicle and died.
Hardee identifies the victims as Leonard Rouse, 52, Nakisha Rouse, 14, both of Darlington, Chikari Douglas-Rouse, 28, and her unborn child, and Baby Boy Douglas-Graham, of Hartsville.
The remaining people in the car were also thrown out and taken to McLeod Hospital with serious injuries, according to SCHP.
One person is still in critical condition after surgery. Two children are being air lifted to MUSC, according to Hardee.
Hardee adds that one of the occupants of the vehicle was in labor and was being driven to the hospital for the delivery at the time of the crash.
The driver and two passengers who died were not wearing seatbelts. The crash remains under investigation by SCHP.
“This collision represents largest loss of life in a single collision in over 20 years in Darlington County,” said Hardee.
On Monday House Representative Robert Williams and others gathered at a house on Southern Pines Road to ask the community for support for the family and the victims, according to Carrie Lunn, mother of one of the victims.
Lunn says the family has a go fund me account but encourages donors to give funds directly to the family through a Carolina Bank account in Darlington.
Lunn says two babies underwent surgery at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and a girl is still undergoing multiple surgeries at McLeod Health.
The family needs help paying for the repeated trips to MUSC in addition to meals and funeral expenses.
The family is working on funeral arrangements.
