A 55-year-old Gray Court man has died nearly three weeks after a motorcycle crash on Highway 14 in Laurens County, with the driver succumbing to his injuries at a Greenville hospital on Thursday, October 22. Cecil Kenneth Starnes Jr. was riding a motorcycle that collided with a vehicle just before 9 p.m. on October 3 at the intersection of Highway 14 and Narnie Road.
According to WSPA, Starnes died at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital from injuries sustained in the crash. The station reports that the wreck remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Laurens County Coroner's Office. WYFF similarly reported that the motorcyclist died weeks after the crash in Laurens County and that no further details were available at the time.
A Simpsonville Mechanic Remembered
Starnes worked as a mechanic at U-Haul in Simpsonville, according to his obituary published on Legacy.com. He was 55 years old and lived in Gray Court at the time of his death.
His family will receive friends at Kennedy Mortuary and Crematory from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Sunday, October 25. A graveside service is scheduled for 2 p.m. this Monday, October 26, at Forest Lawn Cemetery, per the same obituary.
A Mixed Picture On Motorcycle Deaths Statewide
The crash and Starnes' death come as South Carolina has reported fewer motorcycle fatalities so far this year compared with 2025. As of May 12, 37 people had died in motorcycle crashes statewide, compared with 46 by the same point the previous year, according to ABC News 4. The outlet also noted that in Georgetown County, 2023 saw the highest number of people involved in motorcycle collisions over the prior five years, while 2020 was the deadliest year in that span; in Horry County, by contrast, 2020 and 2023 saw the fewest deadly motorcycle collisions.
No cause or fault for the Laurens County crash has been released, and investigators have not detailed how the collision occurred or identified the other vehicle involved. The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Laurens County Coroner's Office continue to investigate.
