Thanksgiving Night DUI Crash Leaves One Man Dead and Another Injured in Anderson County, SC

A tragic DUI crash on Thursday, November 26, left one man dead and another person hospitalized after a pickup struck a tree in Anderson County, SC.

Authorities say the accident happened around 8 PM. A 2004 Tundra pickup truck carrying four people was headed west on Lake Road near Riley Road in West Pelzer. It ran off the right side of the road, hit a fence, and then crashed into a tree.

Charlton Pierce Williams, 21, a front-seat passenger in the truck, was rushed to a local hospital, where he, unfortunately, died during surgery. Doctors say he suffered multiple traumatic injuries in the crash. An 18-year-old passenger in the back seat was also taken to the hospital and treated for injuries, while the driver and a second passenger were unhurt.

The truck’s driver, 18-year-old Justin Fowler, was charged with felony DUI with death and felony DUI resulting in bodily injury.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, South Carolina averages 5.72 impaired driving deaths per 100,000 people and ranks as the state with the third-most drunk driving deaths for 2019. Drivers should plan responsibly and arrange for a designated driver or ride-share if they will be drinking when out.

However, supplying alcohol to a minor under the age of 21 is also illegal, and in some situations, a person who does so might also be liable if the minor has an impaired driving accident.

If you know a surviving family member of a person who was injured or killed in an accident, please encourage them to contact our firm immediately. The consultation is completely free, with no out-of-pocket cost to the family to hire us.

For over 25 years the attorneys at Auger & Auger have been dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals and families that have suffered injuries or lost loved ones due to the negligence of others. We have years of experience guiding and helping our clients every step of the way to receive compensation for aspects such as medical bills, funeral costs, and other monetary loss. 

Editorial Note: At A&A we are always looking to improve the quality and safety and are saddened by the outcome of many tragic accidents across the Carolinas. The purpose of this news blog is to write about cases relevant to our industry and raise awareness about injury cases so that victims of similar incidents can educate themselves on theories of liability, the law, and how personal injury cases typically work. This article is created using publicly available information and is a secondary source. If you find any information here to be inaccurate, please notify us at [email protected], and we will make the appropriate adjustments.