A Hephzibah man was driving 125 mph in a Dodge Charger last month before he fatally struck an ordained minister on Tobacco Road, authorities said.
The speed went down to 80 mph when driver Markell Holliday finally hit a vehicle with Dr. Charles Willie Bickley behind the wheel, authorities said. Bickley was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
Holliday, a decorated Army veteran, was charged Thursday with felony homicide by vehicle in the March 21 death, accused of driving recklessly and causing the victim’s death. He was released on bond, and he has a previous DUI arrest from two years ago.
The 64-year-old victim was an ordained minister and taught at East Central Regional Hospital at the time he was killed.
Authorities say Holliday was speeding on Tobacco Road at Woodcock Drive around 7 a.m. March 21 when the front of his Dodge Charger struck the driver’s side of the Dr. Bickley’s Toyota C-HR.
Richmond County authorities obtained data from the control module on Holliday’s car, which showed he was traveling at 125 mph at some point before the collision. The data shows he was traveling 80 mph when the collision occurred. The speed limit on that stretch of Tobacco Road is 45 mph, but it was a Thursday morning and the accident happened in a school zone, where the speed can be lowered to 35 mph if the lights are flashing.
The suspect’s 2022 DUI arrest appears unresolved in the county’s online management system, with a jury trial requested right away before his attorney filed a motion for a speedy trial. The case shows no action after May 2022 when the state filed motions for discovery and a list of witnesses.
The suspect left the military in 2013 and went to work for the Army as an instructor in Electromagnetic Spectrum Management. Holliday obtained an Associate’s degree from the University of Phoenix.
The victim was buried March 30 with members of his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, serving as pallbearers. In an online tribute, a friend said Dr. Bickley’s legacy “will live on through the thousands of students, co-workers, friends, fellow parishioners, and acquaintances he touched.”
From the obituary: “Charles was educated in the public schools of Richland County and was a proud graduate of Dreher High School, Class of 1979. Charles participated in a wide variety of activities while a student at Dreher. He furthered his education and received his Associate Degree in Arts Major Criminal Justice/Behavior Modification from the University of South Carolina in 1984. During his time at the University of South Carolina, Charles was a part of the ‘A Touch of Faith’ gospel choir. Charles obtained his Bachelor Degree of Arts in Early Childhood Education Administration from Ashford University in 2013. Four years later in 2017, he received his Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (emphasis in Teacher Leadership) from Salem International University in 2017. Later, in December 2022, Charles received his Doctor of Education Leadership & Innovation degree from St. Thomas University.
“Charles was also an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated’s Columbia Alumni (SC) Chapter.
“At an early age, Charles became a member of First Nazareth Baptist Church. He joined the First Nazareth Chorales and sang with them for several years. He eventually was called by the Lord to preach His gospel and became an Ordained Minister.“
