Two 19-year-old women from the South Carolina Army National Guard died in a terrible crash earlier this month.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol and Union County coroner reported that Carol Santiago and Kristal Lopez died when their sedan collided head-on with a pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction.
Lopez and the truck driver were brought to the hospital, but Santiago, a sedan passenger, died at the scene on March 16, according to a South Carolina Army National Guard.
Lopez, the sedan’s driver, died of her injuries on March 23 at Spartanburg Regional Hospital, according to a National Guard news release.
“Our 228th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade family has experienced a heartbreaking loss with the passing of Spc. Lopez. We will remember Kristal for her bright smile, her enthusiasm to help others, and most importantly, the pride she displayed while in uniform. We now memorialize her by showing Kristal’s family love and support during this tough time.” Colonel Linda J. Riedel, commander of the South Carolina Army National Guard’s 228th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, said in the release.
‘We have lost not one, but two of our family members,’ South Carolina Army National Guard says
While Lopez’s and Santiago’s colleagues mourn, the collision is still under investigation.
“The South Carolina National Guard is in mourning today. We have lost not one, but two of our family members with Spc. Kristal Lopez’s passing. There is no way to reconcile such a loss,” Maj. Gen. Van McCarty, adjutant general in South Carolina, said in the release. “Please keep the Lopez and Santiago families in your thoughts and prayers.”
The National Guard assigned Santiago, a human resources professional from Lancaster, South Carolina, to the 228th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade. Her honors and decorations included the Army Service Ribbon.
Lopez, also from Lancaster, worked as a paralegal specialist for the 228th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, according to the National Guard.
