Sumter girl, 15, dies in Richland County crash

By JASON WERMERS
Item Staff Writer
jwermers@theitem.com

A 15-year-old Sumter girl died Monday afternoon after the sport-utility vehicle she was driving ran off U.S. 76/378 in eastern Richland County and rolled over several times, ejecting her, police said.

Hayes Samuels, director of Samuels Funeral Home in Manning, confirmed that Veronica James was the driver who was killed. Samuels is handling the funeral arrangements.

James was driving a 2003 GMC sport-utility vehicle westbound on U.S. 76/378 about 17 miles east of Columbia when the vehicle ran off the road into the median and rolled several times, said Lance Cpl. Josef Robinson of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

As the vehicle rolled across the median, both James and her passenger, Brandon Mickens, 17, of Somerset Drive in Sumter, were ejected. The vehicle landed upright on the eastbound side of the highway, Robinson said.

James was pronounced dead at 1:43 p.m. on the scene of the crash. Mickens was taken to Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia.

The Highway Patrol continues to investigate the collision, Robinson said.