TEGA CAY, SC (October 17, 2026) Gabriel Tucker Williams, 26, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, died after a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle collided at West Highway 160 and Tillberg Way in Tega Cay early Saturday, October 17. His passenger, Aeryn Kira Sutherland, 31, of Charlotte, North Carolina, also died following the collision, according to authorities.
The crash occurred shortly after midnight when Williams was traveling northbound on Highway 160. A southbound vehicle reportedly attempted to turn left onto Tillberg Way and collided with the motorcycle.
Williams sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Sutherland suffered 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 crash and faces two counts of felony driving under the influence resulting in death. According to arrest warrants cited in local reports, Hayes acknowledged consuming alcohol before the collision. A reported breath test registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.13, exceeding South Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08.
Hayes remains in custody at the York County Detention Center without bond, according to local reporting. The York County Coroner’s Office has indicated 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 fatal collision.
