by ERIN PARROTT
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A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of reckless homicide in connection with a 2023 crash that killed two people in North Charleston.
Darrius Laverne Frasier pleaded guilty on Wednesday (October 28, 2026), in Charleston County court, according to S.C. ninth circuit solicitor Scarlett Wilson.
Circuit court judge R. Keith Kelly sentenced Frasier to the maximum penalty of ten years on each charge, ordering the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 20 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC).
The charges stemmed from a March 2, 2023, collision that claimed the lives of Allison Smith and Sacha Hampton Jr.
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According to prosecutors, Frasier was driving a Ford Fusion along Dorchester Road in North Charleston around 11:39 a.m. EDT when he became involved in a verbal argument with Hampton, who was riding unbuckled in the passenger seat.
Investigators said Frasier began speeding and weaving through traffic as the argument escalated before running a red light and striking Smith’s vehicle as she attempted to turn onto the interstate with a green traffic arrow.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, while Hampton was transported to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where he was also pronounced dead.
An investigation conducted by the North Charleston Police Department’s (NCPD) Traffic Unit revealed Frasier was traveling 95.2 miles per hour in a posted 35 mile per hour zone just five seconds before the collision.
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Data recovered from the vehicle’s airbag control module – commonly referred to as its “black box” – showed Frasier did not apply his brakes until approximately one second before impact.
At the time of the collision, Frasier was still traveling 83.3 miles per hour, according to investigators.
Surveillance footage obtained from four intersections along Frasier’s route provided additional evidence of his excessive speed and erratic driving.
During Wednesday’s plea hearing, assistant solicitor Jordan Norvell requested the maximum consecutive sentence, citing Frasier’s reckless conduct and multiple verbal altercations that reportedly escalated while he was out on bond.
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Prosecutors also presented evidence of Frasier’s repeated noncompliance with bond conditions, which ultimately resulted in his bond being revoked following a hearing in June.
“Judge Kelly recognized the extreme recklessness of this defendant,” Wilson said. “While no sentence can return a loved one to their families, the state has great respect for the strong message that judge Kelly delivered this week.”
Special counsel Chad Simpson and investigator Dustin Morris assisted in the prosecution, while Frasier was represented by attorney Drew Carroll.
The solicitor’s office also recognized the NCPD’s Traffic Unit for its investigation and thanked the families and supporters of Smith and Hampton for their continued involvement throughout the case.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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