A fourth-year economics student has been charged with two counts of driving under the influence and driving without a license after police say he struck and killed two motorcyclists last weekend.
Sean Aston, 21, of Columbia, was traveling south with passenger Rebecca King, 20, at around 7 p.m. when he crossed the center line of Wire Road and hit Francis Wright Smith Jr., 43, of Orangeburg and Mary Catherine Green, 50, of 9 Crooked Stick, Columbia, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol Senior Trooper Bridget Wyatt.
Both Smith and Green died of blunt force trauma after police say Aston struck their BMW motorcycles head-on.
Orangeburg County Magistrate Jacob Gillens Sr. set Aston’s bond at more than $30,000 for each felony DUI count and $1,270 for driving with a suspended license.
During his bond hearing, S.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. William Rogan Jr. said Aston was previously charged with possession of marijuana, alcohol-related charges and failure to show up for court.
According to his family lawyer, Aston worked two jobs to pay for his education, one of which was at the Darla Moore School of Business while he was attending the University of South Carolina.