Coroner identifies drivers killed in Sunday morning crash on Highway 17 in Jasper County

Two drivers killed in a Sunday accident in Jasper County were identified Monday as a Ridgeland woman and Florida man, according to the Jasper County Coroner’s Office.

Sarah Devore, 32, of Ridgeland, and Patrick Garvin, 31, of Fernandina Beach, Florida, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to Jasper County Coroner Willie Aiken III. Both deaths are believed to be caused by blunt force trauma, he said.

The crash happened on Highway 17 at around 10:52 a.m., said Master Trooper Brandon Bolt with the highway patrol. One car, a 2004 Nissan Maxima, driven by Devore, was going south while a 2001 Grand Mercury Marquis, driven by Garvin, was going north. The Mercury then went left into the opposite lane, causing a head-on collision, Bolt said.

Both drivers were killed and there were no other passengers in either car, Bolt said.

Garvin was visiting the area when the crash took place, family members told the coroner’s office.

Aiken added that while Devore was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, Garvin was not.

Funeral services have not been scheduled for either driver, Aiken said. Autopsies for Garvin and Devore will take place Monday and Tuesday, respectively, he said.

The crash is being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and Jasper County Coroner’s Office.