Fort Mill driver charged with DUI after motorcyclist dies in Lancaster County SC crash
A Fort Mill woman who was driving a car that crashed with a motorcycle in Indian Land is charged with DUI and the motorcyclist has died, officials said.
The identity of the male driver of the motorcycle has not been released pending notification of family members, said Karla Knight-Deese, Lancaster County Coroner.
Vickie Morell, 41, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence resulting in death after the collision, which happened before midnight Thursday on U.S. 521 near Edgewater Corporate Center, said Master Trooper Brandon Bolt of the S.C. Highway Patrol.
The area where the crash happened is near the intersection of S.C. 160 south of the Ballantyne area of Charlotte and the North Carolina state line. U.S. 521 near the crash site was closed for several hours as traffic was diverted. U.S. 521 has since re-opened in both directions, officials said.
Morell remains at the Lancaster County jail pending a first court appearance before a judge on Friday, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office officials said. A conviction for felony DUI with death carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, South Carolina law states.
The crash
Morell was driving a 2015 Acura south on U.S. 521 when the Acura allegedly rear-ended the Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was also heading south, Bolt said.
The motorcyclist died at the scene, according to Bolt.
The crash remains under investigation by the S.C. Department of Public Safety Multi-Agency Accident Investigation team and the coroner’s office.
The fatal wreck is the 13th in Lancaster County in 2021, according to the department of public safety. The death involving a motorcycle is the 119th on South Carolina roads in 2021, according to the public safety department.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
