ROCK HILL, S.C. — A Rock Hill community is heartbroken after four people, including two children, were killed in a crash in near on Friday.
Workers at the Right Choice Child Development Center said Tionese Hughes had just picked up the kids on Friday when news began to spread of the crash.
"Right Choice will never been the same without those babies," Sidnetrice Williams, the CEO of the day care, said. "They were the first ones to enter the building every single morning. We will never been the same."
The South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) said it happened around 6:30 p.m. along Saluda Road near SC-324. Troopers said a 2019 Nissan sedan crashed into a 2018 Chevy sedan that was traveling the other direction. Hughes died at the scene, as did the driver of the Chevy. Two children, 3-year-olds Mackenzie and Mariah Hughes, were taken to the hospital. One of the children died on the way to the hospital. Her sister died at the hospital, according to officials.
The driver and passenger in a third vehicle involved in the crash weren't injured, according to troopers.
Troopers said Kristen Agard's vehicle crossed the center line, hitting Hughes' Nissan. That collision send Agard's vehicle into the third vehicle.
"I've never seen a young mom hustle like that," Nikki Grier, the executive director of the day care, said. "As much and as often as I could, I encouraged her and patted her on the back."
Carlo Wilkes saw the crash happen. He's still struggling to cope with the outcome.
"How fast death can happen, you know?" Wilkes said. "All I could think about was she was behind me and everybody in this accident was alive and just moments later, four people had died."
Hughes' cousin said she had a heart of gold and that they'll be dearly missed by the family.
People who live in the area where the crash happened say they've been worried about that stretch of Saluda Road for some time. Some said they fear this won't be the last deadly crash unless something's done.
"It'll probably be another wreck next week," one person said. "At one point, they called it, 'dead man's curve.' Well here recently, that's what it's pretty much been, dead man's curve."
Wilkes didn’t know the Hughes family, but he says his thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s loved ones.
"All I can think is it could've been my family member," he said. "I don't even know them but it's emotional. Like I said, I see their mother and the kid in the car that has passed."
Pathology and toxicology reports are pending. SCHP and the coroner's office continue to investigate.
WCNC Charlotte has asked the coroner's office to confirm the relationship shared with Tionese Hughes, Mackenzie Hughes, and Mariah Hughes.
If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you're ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.