Active-duty Marine, Bluffton woman killed in crash off SC 170 early Saturday morning
A local Marine and a Bluffton woman were killed early Saturday morning after their car struck a tree alongside S.C. 170 in Beaufort County.
Dajon Richards, 23, was an active-duty Marine living in Ridgeland. Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, Richards was driving a 2008 Nissan 350Z west on Okatie Highway when the car veered off the right side of the road and struck a tree around 2:15 a.m. Saturday, according to Master Trooper Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP). The crash took place near Red Bluff Road, a half-mile west of the Lemon Island bridge.
The car’s passenger, 20-year-old Fatima Castaneda-Texon of Bluffton, was also killed in the crash. She attended Bluffton High School.
Both occupants were likely wearing seat belts, said Beaufort County Deputy Coroner Andy McNese, but investigators are not certain because the car was “burned beyond recognition.”
Details of funeral services for the deceased have not yet been made public. The crash is under investigation by the SCHP.
This story was originally published January 2, 2024 at 12:53 PM.
