Authorities in Spartanburg County have identified one of the three victims in a devastating multi-vehicle collision early Sunday morning as 36-year-old Nicholas Sinclair Young. The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office confirmed Young’s identity on Sunday, while efforts continue to identify the two remaining victims involved in the crash.
The tragic incident occurred just after midnight, around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 8, on Interstate 85 northbound near mile marker 75, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Preliminary reports reveal that a Honda sedan was traveling the wrong way in the northbound lanes when it struck a Toyota sedan head-on. Moments later, the wreckage was struck by a Ford Expedition.
The sole occupant of the Honda — believed to be the wrong-way driver — was pronounced dead at the scene. Two individuals in the Toyota, including the driver and a passenger, also died at the scene due to the violent impact. One of those victims has now been identified as Nicholas Sinclair Young. The identities of the other Toyota occupant and the Honda driver have not yet been released.
A total of six people—the driver and five passengers—in the Ford Expedition were involved in the crash but miraculously survived without serious injuries, officials said.
Emergency crews responded quickly, and the northbound lanes of I-85 were temporarily shut down as troopers, medical personnel, and investigators worked the scene. The highway has since reopened.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation into the cause of the crash, including the circumstances that led to the wrong-way driving.
Family members and friends are mourning the loss of Nicholas Sinclair Young, remembering him as a vibrant and kind-hearted individual whose life ended far too soon.
More information will be released as authorities complete their investigation and identify the remaining victims.