COLUMBIA – The SC Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) held a memorial service on April 22 remembering more than 1,000 people killed in 2016 traffic collisions on South Carolina roadways. 

The annual Memorial Service was held at Bible Way Church of Atlas Road in Columbia, drawing hundreds of family members and friends of those killed on South Carolina roadways in 2016. People from across South Carolina, as well as other states, attended the service. 

Assistant Pastor Randall “Mack” Jackson of Bible Way Church, delivered the “Message of Hope.” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith and State Transport Police Colonel Leroy Taylor, who is also an elder at Bible Way, offered words of comfort and condolence to the families as well. 

The memorial service has been held annually since 1988 to remember residents and visitors who lost their lives on South Carolina’s highways; to bring together families and friends of the deceased; and to educate the public in an effort to prevent future loss of life on the state’s roads. 

“For the last 30 years, this ceremony has offered an opportunity for families and friends to come together and remember the lives of those tragically lost on our highways,” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith said. “SCDPS and its safety partners continue to focus on our mission of Target Zero in hopes that no other family will have to experience the pain of losing a loved one due to a traffic collision.” 

The SCDPS Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs (OHSJP) coordinated the service, which includes participation from SCDPS law enforcement divisions and public safety agencies from across the state.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, Immigration Enforcement Unit and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.