SKILLMAN, N.J. – Kalina “Kat” Louise Trent was preparing for her senior year at Coastal Carolina University and building toward a career in professional football when the 21-year-old Somerset County woman was struck by an alleged drunken driver near her South Carolina campus.
Trent, of Skillman, survived for six days after the Aug. 16 crash before dying at Grand Strand Medical Center on Saturday. More than 300 people later lined the hospital hallways for an honor walk as Trent, an organ donor, was taken for organ recovery.
- Trent was one of two 21-year-old Coastal Carolina students struck while crossing Highway 544 near Elvington Loop shortly after midnight Aug. 16.
- Police publicly identified the accused driver as 17-year-old Mauricio Palafox-Correa, who now faces charges including felony DUI resulting in death and hit-and-run resulting in death.
- Trent’s death is prompting renewed attention to pedestrian safety around the university, including plans for better lighting, additional patrols and a pedestrian overpass.
Trent had been more than a student with hopes of someday working in sports. She had already worked with Coastal Carolina football recruiting and in the university’s Athletic Ticket Office as she prepared for a career she hoped would eventually take her to the NFL.
Police Say Driver Hit Two Students and Fled
The crash happened at approximately 12:16 a.m. Aug. 16 along South Carolina Highway 544 near Elvington Loop in Conway.
According to Conway Police, Trent and another 21-year-old Coastal Carolina student were crossing the highway when they were struck by a 2014 Honda Accord.
Investigators said the Honda was traveling above the posted 40 mph speed limit.
Police allege Palafox-Correa left the scene after striking the women. Authorities later located him after the Honda was involved in another crash outside Conway.
Both students suffered serious injuries.
Trent sustained severe injuries and never regained consciousness, according to subsequent reporting. Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said Trent died Saturday night from injuries sustained in the crash.
The condition of the second student has not been publicly disclosed.
Palafox-Correa was initially charged with felony DUI and hit-and-run offenses involving great bodily injury. Following Trent’s death, authorities upgraded the case to include felony DUI resulting in death and hit-and-run resulting in death.
He was being held without bond at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
The charges are allegations, and Palafox-Correa is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
More Than 300 People Lined Hospital Hallways for Trent
The scene at Grand Strand Medical Center Saturday evening offered a very different picture of Trent’s final hours.
More than 300 people gathered inside the hospital for an honor walk before her organs were donated.
Students, friends, hospital employees, first responders and university officials stood along the hallways as Trent’s hospital bed passed. Many wore teal, the school color of Coastal Carolina University.
Among those attending were university President James Winebrake and Coastal Carolina head football coach Ryan Beard.
Trent’s obituary describes the decision to donate her organs as one consistent with how she lived.
“Her family hopes that this gift reflects the way Kalina lived: with a huge heart full of love and laughter,” the obituary says.
The family encouraged those who knew Trent to carry that spirit forward — loving fiercely, helping others, laughing loudly and giving generously.
New Jersey Student Had Her Sights Set on the NFL
Trent grew up in Montgomery Township and graduated from Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School in 2023.
At Coastal Carolina, she was already gaining the kind of experience that could help turn her interest in professional sports into a career.
She worked as a student assistant in the university’s Athletic Ticket Office and interned with Coastal Carolina football recruiting. Her obituary says she maintained a strong GPA while also holding other jobs and hoped to graduate summa cum laude.
Her long-term goal was to work in the NFL.
Instead of beginning her senior year this month, her family is now planning celebrations of her life in both New Jersey and South Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, Trent’s family has asked people to consider donating to a local animal shelter in her name.
Fatal Crash Renews Push for Safer Highway 544
Trent’s death is also putting new pressure on officials to improve pedestrian safety around the Coastal Carolina campus.
Highway 544 separates parts of the university community from nearby student housing and businesses, creating a heavily traveled crossing area for students.
Following the crash, Coastal Carolina said it was working with state and local agencies on immediate safety improvements.
Those efforts include additional street lighting and increased law enforcement patrols along the Highway 544 corridor. Officials are also working to advance a planned pedestrian overpass.
The project has taken on new urgency since Trent’s death.
For her family and friends, however, the safety debate follows the loss of a 21-year-old who had arrived at college with plans extending far beyond graduation.
Trent was weeks away from starting her final year at Coastal Carolina. Six days after being struck, hundreds of people stood silently in a hospital hallway as she made one final contribution to others.
Kalina Trent was a 21-year-old New Jersey student entering her senior year at Coastal Carolina University.
The Skillman resident was working toward a career in professional sports and hoped eventually to work in the NFL.
The 17-year-old driver now faces charges connected to Trent’s death.
Authorities upgraded the case after Trent died to include felony DUI resulting in death and hit-and-run resulting in death, in addition to other charges stemming from the crash.
Trent became an organ donor after her death.
More than 300 people participated in an honor walk at Grand Strand Medical Center before her organs were recovered for donation.
Sources: Conway Police Department; Horry County Coroner’s Office; Coastal Carolina University; Grand Strand Medical Center; Kalina Trent obituary; WMBF; WFXB.
