Four motorcycle riders killed in weekend crashes on South Carolina roads, cops say

Noah Feit
·3 min read
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At least four people were killed over the weekend when the motorcycles they were riding were involved in crashes, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Four fatal crashes happened in a 56-hour span on South Carolina roads, according to the Highway Patrol. Three of the deadly wrecks involved motorcycles colliding with other vehicles, the Highway Patrol reported.

Newberry County Crash

One of the multi-vehicle wrecks happened in Newberry County, said Master Trooper Brandon Bolt.

At about 4:45 a.m. on Friday, a 2009 Suzuki was driving north on U.S. 176 when the motorcycle collided with a 2002 Dodge SUV that turned left onto the road from Church Street, according to Bolt.

The motorcycle rider, who was the only person on the Suzuki, was killed, while the SUV driver was not hurt, Bolt said.

The Newberry County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the motorcycle rider.

Officials did not say if the motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet.

Greenwood County Crash

There was another deadly wreck on a Midlands area road Friday night.

This crash occurred at about 11 p.m. in Greenwood County, according to Cpl. David Jones.

Both a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a 2005 Honda Accord were driving east on S.C. 246, when the car made a U-turn and the vehicles collided, Jones said.

The motorcycle rider was taken to an area hospital and later died, according to Jones.

The Greenwood County Coroner’s Office said 56-year-old Stanley Marion Bell was the motorcycle rider, and blunt force trauma was the Ninety Six resident’s cause of death.

There was no word if Bell was wearing a helmet.

Jones said the car driver was not hurt, and no other injuries were reported.

Kershaw County Crash

There was another deadly motorcycle crash early Saturday morning.

This wreck occurred at about 6 a.m. on S.C. 903/McBee Highway in Kershaw County, according to Lance Cpl. Brittany Glover.

A man driving a 1991 Honda to Bike Week in Myrtle Beach died when the motorcycle ran off the road and crashed into a culvert, Kershaw County Coroner David West said.

Tully Tillman, a 37-year-old Indian Land resident who was traveling alone, was taken to an area hospital where he died, according to West.

Tillman was wearing a helmet, West said.

Spartanburg County Crash

Another fatal wreck happened Sunday in the Upstate region.

At about 1:40 p.m., a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle was involved in a crash with a 2023 GMC SUV on U.S. 221 in Spartanburg County, according to Master Trooper William Bennett.

The SUV was heading east on Davis Trading Post Road and turned left onto U.S. 221 where it collided with the northbound motorcycle, Bennett said.

The Suzuki rider, who was the only person on the motorcycle, was taken to an area hospital and later died, according to Bennett.

The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the motorcycle rider.

The SUV driver was also hurt and taken to the same hospital, Bennett said. Further information on the SUV driver’s condition was not available.

There was no word if the motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet.

All of the crashes continue to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through last Thursday, 306 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, and 31 involved motorcycles, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, and 124 of them were riding motorcycles, DPS reported.