‘Bright, curious’: S.C. school district speaks on 7-year-old student’s death

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. – The South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to a fatal crash Saturday afternoon.

Troopers said that the crash was reported to have happened at 3:35 p.m. at the intersection of Augusta Road and Matrix Parkway.

Officials said that four vehicles were involved in the crash. A 2019 Jeep SUV was turning left onto Matrix Parkway from Augusta Road when a 2018 Ford pickup truck traveling south on Augusta Road struck the Jeep.

The two vehicles then collided with a 2018 Mitsubishi SUV and 2005 Honda sedan on Matrix Parkway.

According to troopers, the driver of the Ford was not injured. The drivers of the other three vehicles, along with three passengers in the Mitsubishi, were taken to the hospital.

According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, a rear-seat passenger in the Jeep was taken to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Emergency Department, where he later died from his injuries.

The corner identified the victim as 7-year-old Caius Zaire Blakley from Woodruff.

Spartanburg County School District Four confirmed Blakley was a student at Woodruff Primary School.

The district released the following statement:

This incident remains under active investigation by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in collaboration with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

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