Women killed in crash at Lexington County intersection identified by SC coroner
Two people were killed Sunday night in a crash at a Lexington County intersection, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Claire Ann Pierce, a 22-year-old Lexington resident, and Eliza Jane Udy, a 21-year-old Leesville resident, were passengers who died in what Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher called an accident.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 9 p.m., said Sgt. Tyler Tidwell of the Highway Patrol.
A 2019 Jeep Laredo was driving east on Ben Franklin Road, according to Tidwell. At the intersection with Neely Wingard Road the SUV collided with a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu that was driving south, Tidwell said. That’s in the Leesville area of Lexington County, near Exit 39 on Interstate 20.
Pierce and Udy were two of the three people in the Chevy, officials said. Pierce died at the scene and Udy was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead due to the injuries she suffered in the wreck, according to Fisher.
Both the Chevy driver and the Jeep driver, who was the only person in the SUV, were hurt and taken to an area hospital with what Fisher said were non-life-threatening injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no word if any of the people in the crash were wearing seat belts.
Information about what led to the wreck was not available, but the collision continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.
Through Sunday, 291 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.
At least 15 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were 50 deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 7:29 AM with the headline "Women killed in crash at Lexington County intersection identified by SC coroner."
