Driver killed when car crashes into the back of truck on I-26, SC cops say

One person was killed early Wednesday morning in a crash on Interstate 26, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Mariah Smith-Ramos, a 26-year-old from Darlington, is the person who died, Calhoun County Coroner Donnie Porth said.

The two-vehicle collision happened at about 3:05 a.m. on a stretch of I-26 in Calhoun County, said Master Trooper William Bennett.

The wreck was on the eastbound side of I-26 at the 122 mile marker, according to Bennett.

Both a 1983 Mack truck and a 2020 Toyota sedan were driving east on I-26 when the car crashed into the rear of the truck, Bennett said.

The Toyota driver, who was the only person in the car, died at the scene, according to Bennett.

Bennett said the truck driver, who was the only person in that vehicle, was not hurt.There were no other injuries, according to Porth.

There was no word if either driver was wearing a seat belt.

Information about what caused the car to hit the back of the truck was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Sunday, 278 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2025, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, at least 948 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

This is the first person who has died in a Calhoun County crash in 2025, according to DPS data. There were six deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.

This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Driver killed when car crashes into the back of truck on I-26, SC cops say."

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription