An 18-year-old driver has died nearly four weeks after a single-vehicle crash on a rural road outside Clinton, according to the Laurens County Coroner's Office. Catherine Zeas, of Edgemoor in Chester County, was behind the wheel when her vehicle went off the road and overturned at the intersection of Barrel Stave Road and Philson Road shortly after noon on August 29.
Chief Deputy Coroner Ashley Rushton was called to Greenville Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, September 22, after Zeas had died there, as reported by WYFF. Rushton identified the driver as the 18-year-old.
Barrel Stave Road sits outside Clinton city limits in Laurens County, per The Clinton Chronicle. Both the coroner's office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol are investigating the crash, and the station's report notes that no additional information has been released at this time.
A Deadly Stretch of Summer for Teen Drivers
The crash happened during what safety officials call the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen driver crash rates historically climb across South Carolina, according to the Steinberg Law Firm. The firm points to school being out and more teens driving for work and summer travel during this period.
The pattern is backed by federal research. A Centers for Disease Control study analyzing South Carolina traffic data found that drivers ages 15 to 17 experience 2.5 times the single-vehicle crash rate per licensed driver compared with adult motorists, per CDC Stacks.
Laurens County's History of Rural Road Deaths
Laurens County recorded 116 traffic deaths over a five-year span between October 2019 and September 2024, according to South Carolina Department of Public Safety collision metrics cited by the Hite Law Firm. The county's roads include Interstate 385 and other corridors.
Investigation Ongoing, Cause Not Yet Released
Investigators have not released details on the vehicle's speed, whether Zeas was wearing a seatbelt, or any potential mechanical factors that may have contributed to the rollover.
