By Logan Smith – WIS TV
NEWBERRY, SC (WIS) – Two Presbyterian College students from Germany were killed and five people were injured Friday night in Newberry County when a car hit an ambulance that was on its way to an emergency.
The wreck happened around 9:20pm Friday on U.S. 76 in Newberry County, about 7.5 miles west of Newberry, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Troopers say a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Caroline Smith, 20, of Pawley’s Island was traveling west on the highway when an ambulance approached them from the rear with its sirens and lights activated. Smith moved to the right to allow the ambulance to pass, but troopers say her car moved back into the roadway and hit the ambulance in the eastbound lane.
Lea Kramer, 22, and Sarah Doelker, 23, were sitting in the backseat of the Jetta and died from blunt force trauma. Troopers said both victims were German. The other occupants of the Jetta were taken to Palmetto Health Richland, including Smith; the front seat passenger, Allen Butt, 20, of Beaufort; and backseat passenger Luke Thomas, 21, of Trenton.
The driver of the ambulance, Christopher Leagan, 28, of Prosperity, was taken to the emergency room in Newberry. The passenger, Ashley Stevens, 24, of Lexington, was taken to Palmetto Health Richland.
"This tragedy touches all of us as members of a community," said Presbyterian College President John Griffith. "We are saddened and shaken by our loss. My prayers go out to the families of these young people and especially those who lost their children last night."
The injured victims’ current conditions are unavailable. Troopers said all drivers and passengers were wearing seatbelts. The accident is still under investigation, and no criminal charges have been issued.
