Jessica Nicole Way, 31, of Alcolu, died at the scene of a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 52 near Butterbean Road in Berkeley County around 7 p.m. Tuesday, when a 2004 Honda SUV crossed the center line into the path of her westbound 2019 GMC Acadia.​
Crash Details
South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. Nick Pye reported the Honda was eastbound and struck the GMC head-on next to Lake Moultrie; the Honda driver was hospitalized with no further condition details released. No other injuries occurred, and seatbelt usage for either driver remains unknown. The incident is under investigation by the Highway Patrol and Berkeley County Coroner’s Office, with no cause yet identified for the Honda veering into oncoming traffic.​
Road Safety Context
U.S. 52 ranks among Charleston’s highest crash corridors, alongside US-17, I-26, US-78, and I-526, per recent safety analyses. Statewide, 808 road deaths occurred through Sunday in 2025, compared to 948 in 2024; Berkeley County saw 31 fatalities this year versus 32 last year. Current SCDOT reports show no active closures or major work on U.S. 52 in the area as of December 5, amid typical regional congestion levels around 26% averaging 18 minutes for 10 km.
