Two people killed in late night crashes on same stretch of I-77, South Carolina cops say
In less than two hours Wednesday night, two people were killed in separate crashes on the same stretch of Interstate 77 in Richland County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
One of the deadly wrecks was on the southbound side of I-77 in Columbia, while the other happened about 3 miles away on the northbound side, said Master Trooper Gary Miller.
A single-vehicle collision happened at about 9:20 p.m., according to Miller.
A 2005 Ford Mustang was driving south on I-77, and at the 15 mile marker the car ran off the right side of the highway where it flipped over and crashed, Miller said.
A passenger in the Mustang died, according to Miller.
The woman whose body was discovered after the crash was identified as 20-year-old Gaston resident Shayna M. Stukes, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said Thursday.
Miller didn’t say if the Mustang driver was hurt, but no other injuries were reported.
Information about what caused the Mustang to veer off I-77, near the junction with Percival Road, was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Less than 2 hours later, at about 11:15 p.m., there was another fatal wreck on I-77, according to Miller.
Both a 2012 Chrysler 300 sedan and a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle were driving north on I-77, Miller said. At the 12-mile marker, near the junction with Forest Drive in the area by Fort Jackson, the motorcycle hit the right rear corner of the car then overturned before it ran off the right side of I-77, according to Miller.
The motorcycle rider was killed, Miller said. Robert T. Licata, a 37-year-old Lugoff resident, died in what the Richland County Coroner’s Office called an accident.
No other injuries were reported by Miller.
There was no word if Licata was wearing a helmet, or if any of the people in either of the cars involved in the separate crashes were wearing seat belts.
Information about what caused the motorcycle to crash into the Chrysler was not available, and Miller did not say if the wreck remains under investigation.
Through Sunday, 689 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 42 people have died in Richland County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 61 deaths in the county in 2023, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Two people killed in late night crashes on same stretch of I-77, South Carolina cops say."
