Late Sunday evening, sorrow swept across Sumter County when 49-year-old Felicia Williams Sims lost her life in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 North. The accident—occurring between mile markers 141 and 146 around 6 p.m.—was fatal before help could fully arrive.
According to Coroner Robert Baker, Sims was a passenger in the vehicle when it veered off the road. The force of the crash left her with catastrophic injuries, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews worked quickly, but there was nothing they could do to reverse the damage done.
At this stage, authorities are tight-lipped about the driver’s identity or state, and they have not confirmed any cause for the vehicle’s deviation. The South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP), with backup from the coroner’s office, is probing all angles. They are looking into whether speed, driver fatigue, mechanical failure, or weather conditions may have played a role in that tragic turn.
An autopsy is set for Wednesday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Medical examiners will be tasked with determining more precisely how Sims died—and possibly shedding light on how the crash unfolded. The results could help piece together whether what happened was a freak accident, a preventable mistake, or some combination of factors.
The scene itself was a stark reminder of how fragile life is on high-speed roads. Traffic was snarled as first responders and investigators secured the stretch of highway and collected evidence. Drivers were urged to remain vigilant—especially on interstates where a momentary lapse can lead to irreversible consequences.
In Florence County, where Sims was from, grief has settled heavy. She is being remembered by those who knew her as a warm, nurturing presence—someone who carried kindness in her everyday interactions. Family, friends, and community members are gathering to mourn, to ask questions, and to try to make sense of how someone so dearly loved could be gone in an instant.
As investigators continue their work, the spotlight falls not just on what caused the crash, but on a painful void left behind. Felicia’s life may have ended on that stretch of highway, but her memory is already stirring deeper concern for safety, compassion, and accountability in the wake of tragedy.