Lancaster County coroner identifies both drivers killed in head-on crash

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that left two drivers dead Wednesday morning in Lancaster County.

State troopers told Channel 9 reporter Gina Esposito that two people were killed in the two-car wreck at Camp Creek Road and Catoe Road, just outside the town of Lancaster.

Investigators identified the victims as 43-year-old Tamiko Moore Bristow and 45-year-old Tommy Eugene Faile.

The crash happened around 6:40 a.m.

Toby Roberts with the Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Department told Channel 9 there was little they could do when they arrived on scene.

"We got out and checked for any sign of life in either of the vehicles,” he said. “No sign of life was found. We doubled checked. We did all we could do to see if we had any viable life. There was none. We switched our operations from rescue to recovery."

Troopers said both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions on Camp Creek Road and that the driver of the Buick was heading west when it veered left and hit a Honda head-on.

Both drivers died at the scene. Investigators said the driver of the Buick wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

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"This road right here has claimed numerous lives,” Roberts said. “We experience a lot of people in a hurry, especially in the mornings when people are going to work, school -- people tend to speed."

Roberts said firefighters had to rescue someone from a crash just six miles down Camp Creek on Tuesday.

He hopes a project to replace a bridge on Camp Creek Road over Gills Creek will help with traffic in the area. The South Carolina Department of Transportation said the new bridge will be brought up to safety standards and widened to two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders.

They said construction will start in the fall of next year. At that time, the road will be closed, and drivers will have to use a detour.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.

Cox Media Group