LEXINGTON, S.C. — Police say a crash involving the principal of a Lexington County school on vacation in Hawaii resulted in four injuries across two vehicles.
School officials said on Thursday that River Bluff High Principal Jacob Smith and his family were involved in a serious car crash in Hawaii. But the school didn't have specifics on how the collision occurred.
Investigators have since shared new details.
A spokesperson for the Hawaii Police Department said the crash happened in the town of Hilo around 6 p.m. on Wednesday along Daniel K. Inouye Highway, which serves as the main east-to-west thoroughfare across the main island.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe a 2020 Ford Expedition was heading west on the highway when it hydroplaned, crossed the center line, and hit a 2017 Toyota Sienna van.
Three people in the SUV were hurt. Emergency responders took two of them to Hilo Medical Center, and the third, an 18-year-old woman, was taken to The Queen's Medical Center on Oahu Island with critical injuries.
Officials said The Queen's Medical Center is a trauma facility where more seriously injured patients often go.
The only occupant of the van was also taken to Hilo Medical Center.
Authorities said the road was wet during the crash, and visibility was low. Police are conducting a negligent injury investigation and asking anyone with information about the wreck to call their department.
A prayer vigil for Smith and his family was held Thursday at Radius Church in Lexington