White Knoll High School 12th grader and former Lexington County firefighter die in car crash

LEXINGTON, SC (WIS) – Lexington School District 1 confirmed to WIS on Thursday that 17-year-old James Leonard Ely III was a 12th grader at White Knoll High School.

According to investigators, Ely was riding a motorcycle and hit 63-year-old Kevin Scott Collins.

Both Ely and Collins were pronounced dead at the scene, but a passenger on Ely's motorcycle was injured and taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

A statement from the school district said:

School and district leaders are focused on supporting James' family as well as WKH students and staff.

A loss and grief crisis intervention team, consisting of school counselors and school psychologists, was on campus today.

Lexington County School District One also partners with Care Solace to support the well-being of students and their families. Care Solace is a free and confidential care coordination service that can help students and families quickly find mental health options tailored to their needs, regardless of the circumstances.”

According to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher, the accident occurred around 10 p.m. on Kyzer Road as Collins was crossing the street after checking his mailbox.

He was struck by Ely, who was traveling west on a motorcycle. Ely was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident but succumbed to his injuries.

Kenny Miles, a neighbor of Collins, was devastated when he heard the news.

“For God's sake, a grown man just wanted to check his email, that's all he did,” Miles said.

Another neighbor on the street, Chris Harrington, told WIS, “I mean, it's unfortunate that both of them had to end in such a tragic way. This shouldn't happen to a little kid, 17 years old, and it shouldn't happen to a gentleman who's retired. Either way, it's sad.”

The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Lexington County Coroner are actively investigating the incident.

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