Two killed in crash on I-26 that left another seriously injured, SC cops say
Two people were killed and another was seriously injured late Monday night in a crash on Interstate 26, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Both 21-year-old Gaston resident Pedro Gutierrez and 75-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, resident Michael J. Oneill died in the wreck, Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece said Tuesday.
The three-vehicle collision happened at about 11 p.m. near the 66 mile marker on the eastbound side of I-26, which is in the Jalapa area of Newberry County, said Cpl. David Jones of the Highway Patrol.
A 2006 Ford van, a 2021 Chevrolet van and a 2021 Nissan 4-door vehicle all were driving east on I-26, according to Jones. The Chevy hit the rear of the Ford, causing that vehicle to spin out and crash into the side of the Nissan, Jones said.
The Ford driver was taken to an area hospital and later died there, according to Jones.
There were two people in the Chevy, and while the driver was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries the passenger died at the scene, Jones said.
The Nissan driver was not hurt, according to Jones. No other injuries were reported.
It was not clear which vehicles Gutierrez and Oneill were in when the crash happened.
Further information on the Chevy driver’s condition was not available.
There was no word if anybody involved in the crash was wearing a seat belt.
Information about what caused the Chevy to collide with the Ford was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office. Autopsies for both Gutierrez and Oneill will be performed this week, Kneece said.
At least one lane on I-26 was blocked until about 1 a.m., according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Through Sunday, 465 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 seven people have died in Newberry County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were eight deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.
That includes a 48-year-old Winnsboro resident who died late Saturday night when the car she was driving crashed into a mailbox, a wooden post, an embankment and a tree, according to the Highway Patrol.
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This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Two killed in crash on I-26 that left another seriously injured, SC cops say."
