Man Allegedly Took Wheel From Grandmother To Cause ‘Near-Fatal’ Crash That Injured Them Both

A South Carolina man is facing charges for allegedly grabbing the steering wheel as his grandmother drove in order to cause a crash, injuring them both, authorities said.

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said the passenger of a vehicle involved in a crash Monday on Boots Branch Road has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly causing the “near-fatal” accident.

Deputies responded to the crash at around 9:56 p.m. Monday and found the passenger injured and the driver critically injured. Investigators believe the passenger, identified as 22-year-old Tathan Jefferson Rabon, was being given a ride when he allegedly “took control of the vehicle’s steering wheel in an attempt to cause a fatal accident for himself and the driver.”

Police initially described the driver as an “acquaintance” of Rabon, but Dr. Mark Bordeaux, Public Information Officer for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, told WLTX the driver was his own grandmother.

“As investigators are looking into this, it appears that the suspect grabbed the steering wheel of the vehicle and attempted to cause both he and the driver, who was his grandmother, a fatal crash,” Bordeaux told the outlet.

The driver was transported to Prisma Health Richland, where she was listed in critical but stable condition Tuesday.

Rabon was transported to Prisma Health Tuomey for treatment. After his release from the hospital, he was booked into the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center on a charge of attempted murder, and bond was denied.

“We’re just grateful that the grandmother was not killed and also grateful the suspect was not successful in causing his own death as well,” Bordeaux said.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing.