A judge sentenced Nicholas Shane Meeks to 35 years in prison this week for a New Year's Eve crash that killed four people near Pelzer, a collision that happened while Meeks was driving on a license already suspended from a prior DUI conviction. Meeks pleaded guilty to four counts of reckless homicide rather than the felony DUI resulting in death charges he originally faced.
According to FOX Carolina News, officials said Meeks struck an SUV carrying four people around 9 p.m. on December 31, 2024, on Cooley Bridge Road. The SUV, a 2017 Subaru, was backing out of a driveway when Meeks' 2012 BMW sedan slammed into it, forcing the vehicle off the road and into a tree, as detailed by Consequence. Officials said Meeks was under the influence at the time of the crash.
The four people killed were Amanda LeRoux, 30, who died of multiple blunt force injuries; Joshua Ward, 37, who died of smoke inhalation and thermal burns; Jade Burton, 27, who also died of multiple blunt force injuries; and Audrey Ross, 29, who died of blunt force trauma to the chest, per the station's report. Meeks had been convicted of driving under the influence in March 2024, and his license was still suspended when the fatal crash occurred, according to a report from a local news station shared on Facebook.
A Musician, a Fiancée and Three Orphaned Children
Ward was a drummer and vocalist for the North Carolina death metal band Voraath, and Ward and some bandmates took part in volunteer relief missions delivering food and medical supplies to isolated Hurricane Helene survivors in late 2024, according to The Paper. Ward and LeRoux were engaged to be married in 2025, and their deaths left three children without parents, while victim Jade Burton left behind a daughter, as reported by American Songwriter.
At sentencing, the judge spoke directly to the victims' families and said that prison time could not bring back their loved ones, per the station's report. Meeks was sentenced to 35 years total on the four counts of reckless homicide and received credit for time already served.
What the Sentence Actually Requires
Under the terms handed down, Meeks must serve 55 percent of 10 years for each of the first three counts before he can request parole, and 55 percent of five years on the fourth count, according to the same account from FOX Carolina News. South Carolina law generally treats Class A, B and C felonies as no-parole offenses requiring at least 85 percent of the sentence to be served, as outlined by the Grand Strand Law Group. Under South Carolina Code § 56-5-2910, reckless vehicular homicide as a felony can carry up to 10 years per count, mandatory fines between $1,000 and $5,000, and a mandatory five-year license revocation, per the Strom Law Firm.
Civil Lawsuits Target Bars That Served Meeks
In April 2025, the administrator of Amanda LeRoux's estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Greenville County Court of Common Pleas against Meeks and three local establishments — The Slice Pizza and Pasta, Warehouse at Vaughn's, and Taphouse — alleging the venues overserved him alcohol before the crash, according to court filings reviewed through the Greenville County Court of Common Pleas. Three victims' families cited negligence in that April 2025 lawsuit, according to FOX Carolina News.
The civil litigation proceeded ahead of Meeks' criminal sentencing this week.
Part of a Broader Statewide Pattern
More broadly, the case highlights concerns about traffic safety in South Carolina.
