Executive Summary
- Malcolm Johnson was killed and Aurora Agee severely injured in a pedestrian collision on Gervais Street in Columbia.
- Police charged driver Randall Miller with felony DUI resulting in death.
- MADD data highlights a low 18% DUI conviction rate in Richland County compared to neighboring jurisdictions.
- Advocates are pushing for Senate Bill 52, which would increase penalties and mandate restitution for victims’ families.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A fatal collision in downtown Columbia has resulted in the death of a 29-year-old man and severe injuries to a woman, intensifying calls from advocacy groups for stricter driving under the influence (DUI) legislation in South Carolina. Following the incident, data has emerged highlighting significant disparities in conviction rates across the state’s judicial circuits.
According to the Columbia Police Department, the incident occurred in the Vista district on Sunday. Investigators report that Malcolm Johnson, 29, and his girlfriend, Aurora Agee, were struck by a vehicle while utilizing a crosswalk on Gervais Street. Authorities confirmed that Johnson was pronounced dead, while Agee remains hospitalized with severe injuries. Police identified the driver as Randall Miller, who was taken into custody at the scene.
Law enforcement officials state that Miller faces multiple charges, including felony DUI resulting in death. Following the arrest, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) released broader data concerning impaired driving trends. According to the SLED annual crime report, the state recorded 15,392 reported DUI cases in 2023, with the number rising to 16,057 cases in 2024. In Columbia specifically, police reported 164 DUI arrests in 2024.
Steven Buritt, a representative for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), cited the incident as evidence of a systemic failure in prosecuting impaired driving cases, specifically within Richland County. MADD’s court monitoring program, which tracks misdemeanor DUI cases, indicates that Richland County held an 18% conviction rate in their most recent reporting period. The organization noted that out of 1,111 DUI cases monitored in the county during 2024, only 202 resulted in guilty verdicts. Buritt contrasted these figures with neighboring Lexington County, which reportedly maintained a 40% conviction rate.
In response to these statistics and the recent fatality, advocates are rallying behind Senate Bill 52 in the upcoming legislative session. If enacted, the bill would introduce stricter penalties for impaired driving offenses, including provisions requiring defendants to pay child support if their actions result in the death of a parent or caregiver. Antania Mingo-Lewis, a survivor who lost her son and a leg in a 2020 DUI-related crash, expressed support for the legislative changes, emphasizing the permanent impact of such incidents on families.
Legislative and Judicial Outlook
The statistical disparity in conviction rates between neighboring counties suggests potential inconsistencies in prosecutorial resources or judicial processing regarding DUI offenses in South Carolina. The push for Senate Bill 52 indicates a legislative shift toward victim restitution models, mirroring similar "Bentley’s Law" legislation adopted in other states. As the investigation into the Gervais Street crash continues, the legal proceedings against the defendant will likely be scrutinized as a bellwether for local judicial efficiency in handling felony DUI cases. It is important to note that Randall Miller is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
