Honor walk draws hundreds
More than 300 people filled the halls of Grand Strand Medical Center on Saturday evening for an honor walk honoring Kalina Trent, a 21-year-old Coastal Carolina University student from Montgomery, New Jersey, who died from injuries sustained in an Aug. 16 crash. According to Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard, Trent died Saturday night.
The honor walk, which took place just before 7 p.m. on Aug. 22, saw Trent's hospital bed wheeled from an elevator into an operating room for organ donation, as reported by the Charleston Post and Courier. Hospital staff distributed tissue boxes to attendees, and the procession was marked by silence, weeping, and prayer.
Trent's mother wrote on social media that her daughter would be donating her organs following the walk, as reported by Live 5 News WCSC and WEAU.
The crash and charges
Trent was one of two students struck in a hit-and-run at approximately 12:15 a.m. on S.C. Highway 544 near Elvington Loop, according to multiple sources. Conway police arrested 17-year-old Mauricio Palafox-Correa in connection with the crash. He faces charges of felony DUI and two counts of hit-and-run with great bodily injury, and is being held without bond at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, as reported by Live 5 News WCSC, WEAU, and the Charleston Post and Courier.
The other student's condition has not been released, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.
Hospital and community response
Grand Strand Medical Center released a statement saying, "At Grand Strand Health, our role extends beyond caring for patients — it means supporting families through some of life's most difficult moments." The hospital noted that honor walks may be part of the organ donation process and are typically coordinated with the family, care team, and an organ donation organization, but loved ones ultimately decide whether to hold one, as reported by Live 5 News WCSC and WEAU.
Grand Strand Medical Center spokeswoman Presley Leopard told the Charleston Post and Courier that officials leave the decision to hold an honor walk up to individual families.
Trauma surgeon Mia Klein, who attended Trent's honor walk, said, "It gives all of us a lot of peace in a really sad situation," as reported by the Charleston Post and Courier.
In addition to hundreds of community members, Coastal Carolina University President James Winebrake, head football coach Ryan Beard, and multiple first responders attended the honor walk, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.
University safety measures
In response to the tragedy, Coastal Carolina University President James Winebrake announced safety enhancements along Highway 544, including additional street lighting, increased law enforcement patrols, and advancement of a pedestrian overpass project, as reported by Live 5 News WCSC and WEAU.
The Charleston Post and Courier reported that Winebrake outlined immediate steps including meeting with state transportation officials to launch a traffic safety action plan, installing three illuminated pedestrian safety signs, and adding more lighting, with a dozen already in place and two more in progress.
According to the Charleston Post and Courier, Trent was the third student killed crossing that section of S.C. Highway 544 since 2012. Hundreds of parents and students have demanded short-term safety measures as construction on a planned $12 million pedestrian overpass looms. An online petition launched by an anonymous parent garnered nearly 1,000 signatures within 24 hours, the paper reported.