Jasper Co. schools mourn teacher, ‘held in highest regard,’ killed on his way to work
A Jasper County elementary school teacher was identified as the man killed in the head-on crash on S.C. 462 Tuesday morning, according to officials.
William “Bill” Lacombe, a fifth-grade teacher at Ridgeland Elementary School, was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. at the scene of the crash near Marsh Cove and Green Place, according to Jasper County Coroner Willie Aiken III.
Lacombe was on his way to work when he was killed.
A pickup truck traveling east on the rural highway, known as Lowcountry Drive, crashed head-on with Lacombe’s sedan heading west, according to a S.C. Highway Patrol news release.
As a teacher at Ridgeland Elementary, Lacombe was “held in the highest regard” by his colleagues, a Facebook post from the Jasper County School District reads.
“The professional relationship and personal friendship we had with Mr. Lacombe have been a source of enrichment and enjoyment to all of us,” the post states. “We shall miss Mr. Lacombe greatly.”
According to his school bio, Lacombe had been teaching for 27 years, and has been married for 30 years. He has five children.
The crash is under investigation by Highway Patrol.
Trooper Nick Pye with the agency said Lacombe was wearing a seat belt, while the pickup driver was not. The pickup truck driver was uninjured in the crash.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 4:28 PM.
