The victim of the fatal crash involving a University of South Carolina football assistant coach has now been identified.
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford confirmed in a Monday release that 35-year-old Kelly M. Johnson of Columbia was the individual killed in the August 22 collision.
Gamecocks defensive line coach Travian Robertson was also involved in the wreck and suffered injuries. Robertson, who remains in the trauma ICU at Prisma Health Richland, is expected to recover fully, according to USC head coach Shane Beamer. “We expect him to make a full recovery and be back out on the field soon,” Beamer said Friday, while also asking fans to “keep the families of those involved in the accident in your prayers and respect the Robertson family’s privacy during this time.”
The crash occurred around 5:45 a.m. Friday on U.S. 76/Dutch Fork Road, near Chapin in Richland County, according to Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Investigators said Johnson was driving a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder westbound when the vehicle crossed the center line and struck Robertson’s 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe head-on. Johnson died at the scene, Ridgeway confirmed.
Authorities have not released details on whether either driver was wearing a seatbelt, nor have they determined what caused Johnson’s SUV to drift into oncoming traffic. The Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office are continuing their investigation.
Robertson, a former South Carolina defensive lineman from 2007 to 2011, is entering his third season on the Gamecocks’ coaching staff.
This remains a developing story, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
