York County teen who drove after taking fentanyl gets 10 years for deadly SC crash
A York County teenager who was driving under the influence of the opioid fentanyl when a woman in another car died in a crash has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Jeffery Chase Miller, 19, of Clover, pleaded guilty Tuesday in York County criminal court to charges of DUI resulting in death and great bodily injury.
Reyna Guzman, 66, of Clover, died in the Sept. 16, 2023 crash on Paraham Road. Her husband, Jose Guzman, was hurt.
Judge Dan Hall sentenced Miller after prosecutors and Miller agreed to a plea deal that had a cap of 15 years on both charges, lawyers in the case said.
The charges carry a maximum of 40 years prison under South Carolina law.
The crash happened around 3 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. Miller’s car crossed the center line and hit the Guzman’s vehicle head-on, said prosecutor Matthew Shelton.
“Blood tests showed Miller had a substantial amount of fentanyl in his system at the time of the collision,” Shelton said.
Reyna Guzman was a wife, mother and grandmother who was active in her church and community, Shelton said.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is around 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local officials. Law enforcement says fentanyl is cheap, easy to get, and highly addictive.
Miller had no previous criminal record, said his lawyer, Gary Lemel of Rock Hill.
“This was a tragic situation for everyone involved,” Lemel said. “The Miller family is truly heartbroken for the losses sustained by the Guzman family. We appreciate the judge’s measured ruling on this difficult case.”
