Holiday trip turns deadly for SC man, and two others hurt in I-20 crash, officials say

A man was killed and his wife was one of two others who were injured Sunday night in a crash on Interstate 20, according to South Carolina officials.

Martin L. Tokay, a 72-year-old Murrells Inlet resident, died in the accident, Kershaw County Coroner David West said Monday.

The two-vehicle collision happened at about 7:30 p.m. on a stretch of I-20 running through Kershaw County, said Master Trooper Gary Miller of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Tokay was driving a 2015 GMC pickup truck east on I-20, according to Miller. Near Exit 87, which is the junction with White Pond Road in the Elgin area, the vehicle collided with a 2015 Dodge Ram pickup that was also heading east, Miller said.

Tokay died at the scene and his wife, who was a passenger, was taken to an area hospital, West said. She was treated and has been released, according to West.

Tokay and his wife, who were both wearing seat belts, were heading home after making a trip for the Thanksgiving holiday, West said.

The Dodge driver was also injured and taken to an area hospital, according to Miller. Further information on the Dodge driver’s condition was not available.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word if the Dodge driver was wearing a seat belt.

Information about what caused the pickups to collide was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday at Newberry Medical Center, according to West.

Through Sunday, 876 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 11 people have died in Kershaw County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. There were 17 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported.