Kalina Trent Obituary, Cause of Death – Coastal Carolina University Student Dies After Highway 544 Hit-and-Run

The Coastal Carolina University community is mourning the death of Kalina Trent, a 21-year-old student from Montgomery, New Jersey, who died after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross South Carolina Highway 544 near campus.

Trent died on Saturday, August 22, 2026, after suffering serious injuries in the August 16 pedestrian crash. Her death has brought grief to her family, friends, classmates and the wider Coastal Carolina University community.

Kalina was studying recreation and sport management at Coastal Carolina University. University records also identified her as a student in the program, reflecting the academic path she was pursuing before her life was suddenly cut short.

Kalina Trent Cause of Death

Kalina Trent died from injuries sustained in a pedestrian hit-and-run crash on Highway 544 near Elvington Loop in Conway, South Carolina.

The collision happened shortly after midnight on August 16, when Trent and another Coastal Carolina University student were attempting to cross the busy roadway.

Trent suffered critical injuries and was taken to Grand Strand Medical Center for treatment. She remained hospitalized before ultimately dying from the injuries several days later.

Her death transformed what had initially been reported as a serious pedestrian crash into a fatal investigation.

Fatal Highway 544 Crash

The crash occurred near a section of Highway 544 frequently used by Coastal Carolina students traveling between the university campus and nearby housing.

According to authorities, a vehicle struck Trent and another student before leaving the scene. Police later arrested 17-year-old Mauricio Palafox-Correa in connection with the collision.

The driver initially faced felony DUI and hit-and-run charges involving great bodily injury. Following Trent’s death, prosecutors added more serious charges connected to a fatal crash, including felony DUI resulting in death and hit-and-run resulting in death.

The criminal allegations remain matters for the court, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Kalina Trent and Coastal Carolina University

Kalina’s death has deeply affected Coastal Carolina University, where she was pursuing her education and building the next chapter of her life.

For fellow students, the tragedy has been particularly painful because it occurred during the university’s move-in period, a time when many students were returning to campus and beginning a new academic year.

The death has also renewed concerns about pedestrian safety along Highway 544.

University President James Winebrake said the university was working with local and state officials on safety improvements along the corridor following the tragedy. Measures discussed include additional lighting, increased law-enforcement presence and progress toward a planned pedestrian overpass.

More Than 300 Gather for Kalina’s Honor Walk

One of the most emotional moments following Kalina’s death came at Grand Strand Medical Center, where more than 300 people gathered for an honor walk.

Members of the Coastal Carolina community lined the hospital corridors as Kalina was transported through the facility. Many wore teal, the university’s school color, as a visible expression of support and remembrance.

The gathering provided students, community members and others with an opportunity to stand alongside Kalina’s family during an extraordinarily difficult moment.

Her mother, Kimberly Trent, shared that Kalina would become an organ donor.

The decision gave another dimension to the tragedy. While Kalina’s death ended a young life filled with possibilities, her family’s decision to donate her organs created the possibility that others could continue living because of her final gift.

Remembering Kalina Trent

Kalina will be remembered by the Coastal Carolina community not simply as the student whose death followed a devastating highway crash, but as a young woman who was pursuing her education and preparing for her future.

At 21, she had much of adulthood still ahead of her.

Her studies in recreation and sport management represented one part of the future she was building. Her family, friends and classmates will carry memories of the person behind the student record — someone whose life was connected to people who loved her and to a university community that has now been forced to grieve her absence.

The hundreds of people who gathered for her honor walk demonstrated the depth of the impact her death had on those around her.

A Tragedy That Has Renewed Safety Concerns

Kalina’s death has also intensified longstanding concerns about pedestrian safety on Highway 544.

The roadway separates parts of the Coastal Carolina campus from nearby student housing and other destinations regularly used by students. The tragedy has prompted renewed discussion about how students can cross the highway more safely.

University and public officials have been working toward additional safety measures, including lighting and other infrastructure improvements.

For those mourning Kalina, however, those changes cannot undo what happened to her. They may, they hope, help prevent another family from experiencing the same tragedy.

Funeral and Memorial Information

Detailed public information regarding Kalina Trent’s funeral or formal memorial arrangements has not been established in the information available for this report.

Her family and loved ones may announce additional arrangements as they determine how they wish to honor her life.

Those wishing to remember Kalina should respect the privacy of her family during this difficult period.

Kalina Trent’s Legacy

Kalina’s death has left a painful absence for her family, friends and the Coastal Carolina University community.

Yet her story will also be remembered through the generosity shown by her family and through the lives that may ultimately be helped by her organ donation.

The honor walk at Grand Strand Medical Center became a powerful expression of that legacy. Hundreds of people came together not because they had forgotten the tragedy, but because they wanted Kalina and her family to know that she mattered.

Her life was far more than the circumstances surrounding her death.

She was a daughter, a student, a friend and a young woman pursuing a future that was suddenly taken away.

Kalina Trent will be remembered by her family, friends, classmates and the Coastal Carolina University community for the life she lived and the lasting impact of her final gift. Her death has brought profound grief, but the compassion surrounding her family and the lives potentially touched through organ donation ensure that her story will continue to have meaning.

Disclaimer

This article is based on information available at the time of publication. Details concerning the crash, criminal charges, medical treatment, organ donation and other circumstances may be subject to further official updates. Criminal allegations should not be treated as proof of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Funeral and memorial arrangements should be confirmed through Kalina Trent’s family or an authorized representative. The privacy of her family should be respected while they grieve.