USC student rape case goes to Richland County jury
A rape case involving a USC student went to a Richland County jury on Wednesday afternoon, The State reports. Carlos Jovany Hernandez, 23, could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison if found guilty. Hernandez testified that the student consented to sex in a dark alley near USC’s Capstone residence hall. The student claims Hernandez threatened to shoot her if she did not go into the alley and take her clothes off. The prosecution has support from about 20 law enforcement, civilian and medical witnesses. Hernandez, a native of Mexico, faces deportation if convicted.
Elementary school bus catches on fire in Irmo
A school bus caught on fire on Wednesday morning outside of Dutch Fork Elementary School in Irmo, WLTX reports. No students were harmed in the fire. Officials stated the driver smelled smoke and quickly pulled over on school property and evacuated the children from the bus. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Several help pull man out of flipped car on Interstate 20
About 12 to 15 people helped get a man out of a flipped car on I-20 Tuesday morning, WIS reports. The man's car landed near mile marker 56 on the local highway and was completely overturned. In response to the accident, several individuals pulled over and used their combined strength to turn the car back to its upright side. Jonathon Janzen, the driver in the flipped car, didn’t hit any other cars, and he walked away with only a scratch.