Four elderly people were killed in a head-on crash in Greer Friday afternoon on Highway 14 near the Lakeview Steakhouse. A suspect was in custody and charged with four counts of felony DUI, resulting in death.
A 2006 Saturn SUV, with the four occupants, was traveling west on SC-14 when an eastbound 2004 Ford SUV crossed the centerline and slammed head-on into the Saturn around 5:15 p.m., according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
“All four died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries,” Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans said. All the occupants had to be mechanically extricated, according to the SCHP. It wasn’t clear if they were wearing seat belts.
The coroner’s office confirmed the four victims were:
• Michael B. Cook, 83, of Greenville
• Nancy B. Cook, 80, of Greenville
• William Joseph Norman, 92, of Taylors
• Marsha F. Norman, 83, of Taylors
Evans did not provide information on the relationships between the Cooks or the Normans.
Richard Shane Plowden, of Taylors, was in custody at Greenville County Detention Center on four counts of DUI, resulting in death, the South Carolina Highway Patrol announced. Plowden, who was wearing a seatbelt, was taken to a hospital for treatment for injuries. Bowden is being held without bond at the Greenville County Detention Center.
Greenville County EMS, Lake Cunningham Fire Department, The Greer Police Department, the South Carolina Highway Patrol and The Greenville County Coroner’s Office reportedly responded to the crash.
The collision remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.