20-year-old dies in crash after pursuit with SC protective services officer (2024)

LEXINGTON — A 20-year-old man was killed in a crash after a pursuit with an officer with the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services, an agency that provides security at the Statehouse, state courthouses and for the governor and first family as well.

The officer was driving on Interstate 20 in Lexington County on April 14 when he attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding and reckless driving, according to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon. The sheriff’s department was asked by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety to investigate since one of its officers was involved.

The driver, Dwayne Alfonso Reed Jr., refused to stop, according to Koon.

“Reed initiated a pursuit with the DPS officer when he refused to stop for the officer, who had turned on his blue lights and siren, on I-20 just before the Longs Pond Road exit,” Koon said in a news release.

The car got off the Longs Pond Road exit and headed toward Roscoe Road.

According to a preliminary investigation by the sheriff’s department, Reed was driving a 2015 Ford Fusion at a high rate of speed when he lost control, ran off the road and struck two trees. The crash is still under investigation.

Deputies arrived at the scene at around 5:40 p.m. Reed was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the incident report.

The Bureau of Protective Services is a law enforcement division under South Carolina Department of Public Safety. All certified DPS officers have statewide jurisdiction to perform their duties as needed, according to Kyle McGahee, a spokesman for the DPS.

“We can confirm that the Bureau of Protective Services officer was driving home from his shift when he attempted to initiate a traffic stop for speeding and reckless driving,” according to McGahee.

Though the Bureau of Protective Services provides security at the Statehouse and Governor’s Mansion, Gov. Henry McMaster, the first family and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette were not involved in the incident, according to Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for the governor.

Alexander Thompson contributed to this report.