Baylee Johnson, 24, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was critically injured in an Aug. 23 go-kart accident.
SUMTER, S.C. — A 24-year-old South Carolina woman and her unborn son died after she was critically injured when her hair became caught in a go-kart sprocket, according to the Sumter County coroner and her family.
Baylee Olivia Johnson was injured Aug. 23 while driving a go-kart in the area of Skinner Road in Sumter County. Coroner Robbie Baker said Johnson’s hair became caught in the vehicle’s sprocket, causing serious injuries. She was taken to a hospital in Florence and died Aug. 31, eight days after the accident. Her family said Johnson was 15 weeks pregnant at the time.
Baker told People that Johnson was driving the go-kart when her hair became caught near the back of the engine. He said the force hyperextended her neck and that she ultimately died from a loss of oxygen to the brain. Other reporting citing Baker said emergency responders were able to revive Johnson after the accident before she was transported for medical treatment. Authorities have described the incident as an accident.
Johnson and her boyfriend, Justin Lowder, had recently learned they were expecting a boy, according to her family and obituary. They planned to name their son Johnny. Johnson’s obituary said she had already been preparing for motherhood and described the pregnancy as an important new chapter in the couple’s life together. The obituary identified Lowder as Johnny’s father.
Johnson had also recently started working at Prisma Health OB/GYN–Sumter. Her family told WIS that becoming a medical assistant at the women’s health practice was her dream job. Her obituary described her as a caring coworker known for her humor and energetic personality. She was also remembered as someone who enjoyed hunting, fishing, racing go-karts and spending time with relatives.
Family members said Johnson remained hospitalized for several days after the accident while relatives, friends and others prayed for her recovery. During that period, country singer Riley Green sent Johnson a video message after a relative shared information about her condition on social media. Green told her he was thinking about her and praying for her, according to the message reported by People and WIS.
The loss brought widespread support for Johnson’s family in the Sumter community. Her obituary said friends, coworkers, churches, health care workers and others reached out during her hospitalization. The family wrote that Johnson was especially close to her nieces and nephew, who called her “Bay Bay,” and that she was looking forward to building a family with Lowder and raising Johnny.
The obituary also described Johnson as someone who naturally cared for others and frequently made people laugh. Her relatives said she had been excited about her unborn son and was already planning the life she hoped to give him. The family said it found comfort in believing Johnson and Johnny remained together after their deaths.
Johnson was born April 4, 2002, and was the youngest of three daughters, according to the funeral home. She is survived by her parents, Rick and Robin Johnson; two sisters; Lowder; her grandmothers; nieces and a nephew; and other relatives and friends. Her obituary thanked the doctors, nurses and other staff at McLeod Regional Medical Center for caring for Johnson and her unborn son during their final days.
Funeral arrangements listed a visitation Sept. 4 at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home in Sumter and a funeral service Sept. 5 at Northside Memorial Baptist Church, followed by burial at Zoar Community Cemetery. The family requested that memorial contributions in Johnson and Johnny’s names be directed to the McLeod Guest House through the McLeod Health Foundation. No additional official details about the Aug. 23 accident had been publicly released as of Sunday.
Author note: Last updated September 7, 2026.