A 38-year-old Shelby woman died Tuesday night after a truck struck her while she was riding a scooter near Gaffney, South Carolina, according to a county release. Crystal Cavazos was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, per the county coroner.
The crash happened in Cherokee County, as reported by WSOC-TV. The truck driver was not injured, and deputies are now investigating whether that driver will face charges. No further details on the circumstances of the impact have been released.
Cavazos was legally permitted to ride without a helmet despite the obvious risks. Under South Carolina law, protective helmets are required only for moped and motorcycle riders under age 21, according to Justia Law's compilation of state statutes, meaning adults 21 and older can legally hit the road bare-headed.
How South Carolina Classifies the Vehicle
South Carolina does not actually recognize a separate legal category for scooters. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles classifies any two-wheeled motorized vehicle with an engine of 50 cc or smaller as a moped, while anything larger is legally a motorcycle, with engine size determining licensing and insurance requirements. It remains unclear which classification applied to the vehicle Cavazos was riding.
Mopeds operated on South Carolina's public highways must be registered with the DMV and carry a special license plate, per state statute, though the law stops short of requiring moped owners to carry liability insurance. Riders are also barred from exceeding 35 mph or operating on roads with speed limits above 55 mph, and must keep their headlights on at all times while riding.
Second Fatal Moped Crash Near Gaffney in Weeks
Cavazos's death marks the second fatal moped crash near Gaffney in less than a month. On September 23, 51-year-old Lori Michelle Freeman was killed when an SUV struck her moped near Peachoid Road in Gaffney, according to The Gaffney Ledger.
The back-to-back fatalities underscore a broader danger facing riders of lightweight, low-speed vehicles. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data cited by the Joye Law Firm indicates that moped and scooter riders are roughly 35 times more likely to die in a traffic collision than passenger-car occupants, per mile traveled — a stark reminder of how little protection these vehicles offer against larger trucks and SUVs sharing the same roads.
Statewide, moped fatalities remain a persistent concern. South Carolina's Department of Public Safety recorded 25 moped deaths across the state in 2023, according to its Traffic Collision Fact Book. Cherokee County itself logs around 1,800 total traffic collisions annually and consistently ranks among the state's top 20 counties for fatal and serious injury crashes, per figures relayed by the Stewart Law Offices.
It is not yet known whether South Carolina Highway Patrol or the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office will pursue charges against the truck driver once the crash investigation concludes. Deputies have not released additional information about the speed limit at the crash site or the specific roadway conditions involved.
