Marcus Holmes Jr. Obituary, Death – A man from South Carolina lost his life in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon in Lexington County, according to officials. The Lexington County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 31-year-old Marcus Holmes Jr., a resident of Gaston. Coroner Margaret Fisher confirmed Holmes died in what has been classified as an accident.
The collision occurred around 1 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 321 and Gardners Terrace Road, located in the West Columbia area. Master Trooper William Bennett of the South Carolina Highway Patrol provided further details, explaining that Holmes had been driving a 2020 Nissan Rogue southbound on U.S. 321 at the time. As his vehicle passed through the intersection, it was struck by a 2016 Mercedes-Benz sedan traveling east on Gardners Terrace Road.
The force of the impact pushed Holmes’s SUV off the left side of the roadway. According to investigators, the Nissan then crashed into a ditch, flipped over, and struck a utility pole before coming to a stop. Emergency responders pronounced Holmes dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed he had been wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz was not injured in the crash. Officials did not release information on whether that driver was wearing a seat belt. Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles, and no additional injuries were reported.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office are continuing to investigate the crash. Authorities have not released further details on what may have caused the vehicles to collide at the intersection.
This fatal crash contributes to a troubling trend of roadway deaths in South Carolina. As of Sunday, the Department of Public Safety reported that 626 people have died in traffic crashes across the state in 2025. For comparison, at least 948 people were killed on South Carolina roads in 2024. In Lexington County alone, at least 26 lives have been lost in traffic-related incidents so far this year. Last year, the county recorded 50 roadway fatalities.
The latest incident highlights the dangers drivers face on South Carolina roads, particularly at intersections where right-of-way and traffic control play a critical role in safety. While investigators continue their review, families in Lexington County are once again left mourning the loss of a community member.
Holmes’s death serves as a stark reminder of how quickly tragedies can occur on the road, even when safety measures like wearing a seat belt are followed. Authorities stressed that the investigation is ongoing and that findings from crash reconstruction experts could shed more light on the circumstances that led to the collision.
For now, the community mourns the loss of Marcus Holmes Jr., while state officials track an increasing number of roadway fatalities in 2025. Efforts to improve road safety remain ongoing, but officials acknowledge that each crash leaves a lasting impact on families, friends, and neighborhoods across South Carolina.
