Cameron Durham was killed in a car crash on Thursday, along with his great-grandmother.
Courtesy of SDPC
Jose Martin Guzman-Pliego charged with felony DUI, denied bond
PICKENS COUNTY — A six-year-old Pickens Elementary student and his great-grandmother were killed in a car crash on Highway 123 last Thursday.
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the incident happened at about 6:45 p.m. on US Highway 123 just south of US Highway 178, Cartee Road.
Drivers of a 2011 Ford Fiesta and a 2013 Dodge Ram were traveling south when the driver of the Ram rear-ended the Fiesta, causing it to veer off the roadway and overturn several times. The driver and a passenger in the Fiesta were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, troopers said.
The Pickens County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Gladys Holbrooks, 70, and Cameron Durham, 6, both of Pickens. Holbrooks was Durham’s great-grandmother, officials said.
Three other occupants in the vehicle were transported to the hospital. Due to privacy laws, details on their condition have not been released.
The driver of the Dodge Ram, identified as Jose Martin Guzman-Pliego, was also transported to the hospital.
Guzman-Pliego was charged with two counts of felony DUI resulting in death, and an additional two counts of felony DUI with great bodily injury. He is currently being held at the Pickens County Detention Center.
“Our district is saddened by the death of a first grade student in the Pickens community,” the School District of Pickens County said in a statement. “Cameron Durham was a first grader at Pickens Elementary School. Our prayers and condolences go out to the family, their friends, his classmates, and our educators who were touched by the life of Cameron.”
“We are saddened to hear of the tragic accident that took the life of one of our students,” said Donna Harden, Pickens Elementary principal. “Cameron always had a smile for his teachers and friends. He will be remembered as a happy, caring child who was full of joy. Please continue to pray for the family as well as students and staff of Pickens Elementary.”
“Cameron was loved by his classmates just as he loved them. I will always remember Cameron’s sweet smile and charming personality,” said Katie Taylor, first grade and kindergarten teacher. “He never passed up the opportunity to tell a good story or help a friend. He loved making us smile and laugh through the stories he told and the connections that he made with anything we were learning—especially if he could relate it to fishing. I know he made a lasting impression on anyone he met. He was a hard working and an inquisitive student who always wanted to do his best. He gave 100% every day. He will be deeply missed!”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist the family with funeral costs and medical expenses. As of Tuesday, it had raised over $4,800.
Guzman-Pliego was denied bond in a hearing on Nov. 7.
The incident remains under investigation by SCHP.
Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.