Man guilty in fatal Orangeburg crash; SCSU student, graduate died in Feb. collision

A 24-year-old Greenville man is serving a 10-year sentence in the Feb. 25 crash that killed two women in Orangeburg.

Fuquan Mekhi C. Hills, of a Woodruff Road apartment, pleaded guilty Monday to one count each of failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death and failure to stop for blue lights resulting in great bodily injury, 1st Circuit Deputy Solicitor Tommy Scott said.

Circuit Judge Heath P. Taylor sentenced Hills to 20 years in prison. After he serves 10 years, the remainder of his sentence will be suspended to five years of probation.

The crash claimed the lives of Zeleria Ayanna Simpson, 24, of Goose Creek, an S.C. State University graduate, and Shemyia Tonette Riley, 20, of Greenville. Riley was a junior at the university.

Three other S.C. State University students were injured, including Hills.

Hills was originally charged with two counts each of felony driving under the influence resulting in death and felony driving under the influence resulting in great bodily injury, along with one count each of failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death, unlawful carrying of a pistol, first-offense possession with intent to distribute marijuana and transporting alcohol with an open seal.

Scott said the four felony DUI charges were dropped because toxicology results showed Hills’ blood alcohol concentration at 0.0 and it would’ve been hard to prove he was impaired given the amount of drugs in his system.

As a result, prosecutors were required to drop Hills’ DUI charges while bringing an additional charge of failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death, Scott said.

As part of plea negotiations, prosecutors dismissed Hills’ charges of unlawful carrying of a pistol, first-offense possession with intent to distribute marijuana and transporting alcohol with an open seal.

A state trooper saw Hills operate his 2015 Hyundai Sonata in a reckless manner just before 1 a.m. and attempted to stop him.

Hills refused to stop, leading law enforcement on an 8-mile pursuit. Hills reached speeds over 100 mph.

At the intersection of S.C. Highway 33 and the U.S. Highway 21 bypass, Hills collided with a 2009 Mercury Milan.

The Milan was driven by Simpson. She was the only occupant in it.

Riley was a passenger in Hills’ car. Two other passengers in his car were injured but survived.

The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the pursuit while the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department conducted a reconstruction of the collision.