"He Was Always a Hero"

(Orangeburg County) - Troopers say an early Sunday morning accident on SC 4 killed one person in a car and two pedestrians trying to help.

Lance Corporal Bob Beres says the accident happened around 1:45 a.m. Sunday. Beres says the car ran off the right side of the road and struck a utility pole. Investigators say one person in the car, 24-year-old Octavia Doyle, died from her injuries. Troopers say Jerome Calloway was ejected from the vehicle and was taken to Tri-County Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to another hospital.

Investigators say two people from the car behind the one that wrecked jumped out of their vehicle to help the crash victims, but the fallen utility pole had charged much of the area with an electric current. Both 27-year old Travis Jefferson and 23-year-old Lashonda Dupree died on the scene, after coming into contact with the electricity. The other two passengers in Jefferson's vehicle, Keisha Meeks and Damon Nelson were shocked as well, and transported to the Augusta Burn Center for treatment. Meeks was listed in good condition Monday afternoon, and Nelson was listed as serious.

Jefferson's fiance, Shaquanda Wade, says he was a man of integrity: a good father to his child and hers, a family man, and a hard worker.

"He will be missed deeply by his family, and even though we love him, we know he's in a better place," she said.

Wade met Jefferson six years ago when they were co-workers at the ElectroLux/Husqvarna manufacturing plant in Orangeburg. She says he has always been the type of person to help someone in need, and isn't surprised that he rushed to the scene of the car accident to aide his friends.

"I believe if he could do it again, he would do the same thing. He was just that type of person. If he could help, he was going to help," Wade said.

"He was always a hero. He was always a hero," she said.

Jefferson's family says the people riding in both cars involved in the incident were all friends from their school days in Orangeburg.

According to a plant manager at Husqvarna in Orangeburg, Travis Jefferson and Lashonda Dupree were coworkers at the lawn equipment manufacturing plant. The manager says Jefferson was a full time employee, and Dupree was a seasonal employee.

Jefferson has a seven year old daughter.

A funeral for Travis Jefferson will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Warner Chapel Baptist Church in Orangeburg.

Funeral arrangements have not been set for Dupree at this time.

The accident remains under investigation.

Friends and family are taking up a collection for Jefferson's seven-year-old daughter, Niya, to help with finances now that her father is gone. To help, email Gloria Frazier (Jefferson's aunt) at juicytome2002@yahoo.com.