While crews were pulling the bodies of two missing North Carolina teens from the Wateree River Sunday, another tragedy struck just a half-mile from the recovery scene.
21-year-old Megan Hughes, a senior Special Education major at Winthrop University, died after a 2005 Suzuki she was riding in was struck from behind and overturned around 8:00 p.m. Sunday. Two other students were injured in the wreck. All involved were wearing seatbelts, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Traffic was backed up on Interstate 20 in Kershaw County at the time as officials were recovering the bodies of Jake Ziegler and Ray Pierce from underneath a bridge over the Wateree River. Troopers say the Suzuki was slowing down when it was then hit by a Mercedes driven by an 18-year-old male from New Jersey. The Suzuki then flipped into the median, hitting a third car as it did so.
The other two students were identified as Christian McBee and Caitlin Livingston. McBee remains in the hospital, but Livingston is expected to be released soon, a Winthrop spokesperson said. The Mercedes driver was also taken to a hospital, but his situation was not released.
“Our campus is truly lessened by Morgan’s passing,” Vice President for Student Life Frank Ardaiolo said in a statement. “Please join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to Morgan’s family as we also pray for a quick and full recovery for Christian and Caitlin.”
Hughes was originally from Conway. Winthrop officials said she was a member of the school’s Quidditch team and was currently interning at Chester High School.
Andrew Kiel of Rock Hill station WRHI constributed to this report
