A 21-year-old Fort Mill man is in custody following a violent multi-vehicle collision on Friday afternoon that claimed the life of a local woman. Joel Laron Smith faces charges of reckless homicide and operating an uninsured motor vehicle after investigators say his car went airborne and struck two other vehicles near a busy highway interchange.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:17 p.m. on Celanese Road, just off the Interstate 77 exit. According to the Rock Hill Police Department, Smith was operating a Hyundai Sonata and exiting the interstate at a high rate of speed.
Chain Reaction Collision
Evidence at the scene indicates that Smith was unable to maintain control of his vehicle as he transitioned from the interstate ramp to the surface road. The Hyundai reportedly traveled across a median and became airborne before colliding with a Ford Ranger pickup truck.
The momentum of the initial impact sent the Sonata careening further out of control, where it then struck a Toyota Sienna minivan also traveling on Celanese Road. While the occupants of the truck and the suspect’s vehicle were assessed for injuries, the impact to the minivan proved catastrophic.
Fatality and Charges
The driver of the Toyota Sienna, identified by authorities as a woman, was extricated from her vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Despite medical intervention, she later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity is currently being withheld pending full notification of her next of kin by the York County Coroner’s Office.
Smith was arrested at the scene and transported to the York County Detention Center. In addition to the felony charge of reckless homicide, he is cited for operating a vehicle without insurance. The Rock Hill Police Department’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) spent several hours at the intersection reconstructing the crash.
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