South Carolina woman killed in head-on crash between SUV and pickup truck, officials say

One person was killed and two others were injured Friday in a head-on crash that involved an SUV and a pickup truck, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol .

Tonya Frey, a 28-year-old Summerville resident, died from the injuries she suffered in the multi-vehicle collision, Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said.

The wreck happened at about 5:10 p.m. in the Bonneau area of South Carolina’s Lowcountry, according to Master Trooper Brandon Bolt of the Highway Patrol.

Frey was a passenger in a 2011 Toyota SUV that was driving west on U.S. 52 , Bolt said. The SUV collided head-on with a 2008 Toyota pickup truck that was heading east on U.S. 52, according to Bolt.

Frey and the drivers of both vehicles were taken to a hospital, where the 28-year-old later died, officials said. Further information on the conditions of the drivers was not available.

Bolt said that Frey and the drivers were the only people in the two vehicles, and no other injuries were reported.

There was no word if any of the people involved in the wreck were wearing seat belts.

Information about what caused the vehicles to collide, or if one of them crossed the center line and was driving toward oncoming traffic, was not available. The crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.

Through July 21, at least 502 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 18 people have died in Berkeley County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 60 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS said.