MARION COUNTY, S.C. — A Marion County Sheriff's Deputy has died after being involved in a single motor vehicle crash while responding to a call just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, December 17th.
The Highway Patrol says the deputy's vehicle ran off the road on US Highway 76 near the US 501 bypass and struck a bridge pillar.
According to a Facebook post on the Marion County Sheriff's Office, PFC Michael Shawn Latu did not survive his injuries after the crash.
PFC Latu was the Marion County Sheriff's Office 2018 Deputy of the Year as well as the 2018 Patrolman of the Year. Latu's career began as a 911 Dispatch Operator for Marion County in November 2012, and joined the Sheriff's Office in January 2015.
In the post it describes "Mike" as quiet with a genius level IQ. It goes on to say "he was the workhorse of the department and was always eager to help. The void left by our brother will never be filled. We ask for your prayers of comfort during this time, not only for his family but for his "blue" family as well."