TEGA CAY, SC, (October 17, 2026) Gabriel Tucker Williams, 26, of Fort Mill, died after a motorcycle collided with a passenger vehicle at the intersection of West Highway 160 and Tillberg Way in Tega Cay. His passenger, Aeryn Kira Sutherland, 31, of Charlotte, North Carolina, also died following the early-morning crash, according to authorities.
The collision occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday, October 17, according to the Tega Cay Police Department. Preliminary reports indicate that Williams was traveling northbound on Highway 160 when a southbound vehicle attempted to turn left onto Tillberg Way and struck the motorcycle.
Williams suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Sutherland sustained critical injuries and was transported to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, where she later died.
Vernell Laurthel Hayes, 45, of Fort Mill, was arrested in connection with the collision and faces two counts of felony driving under the influence (DUI) resulting in death. According to arrest warrants cited in local reporting, Hayes acknowledged consuming alcohol before the crash, and a breath test reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.13, above South Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08.
Hayes remains in custody at the York County Detention Center without bond, according to local reports.
The York County Coroner’s Office reported that pathology and toxicology results for the victims were pending. The Tega Cay Police Department and the South Carolina Highway Patrol are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
