Caiden Miles McGuff, a 16-year-old baseball player from Camden High School in South Carolina, passed away on July 29, 2025, following a crash involving his pickup truck on Ridgeway Road in Kershaw County.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported that the crash occurred around 5 p.m. on Ridgeway Road, close to Richardson Boulevard, approximately four miles east of Elgin, South Carolina. McGuff was driving a 2004 Ford pickup truck traveling west when the vehicle veered off the left side of the road, struck a phone box, overturned, and collided with a tree in the wooded area.
Both McGuff and a female passenger were transported by emergency medical services to Kershaw Medical Center Emergency Room. McGuff succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The condition of the female passenger remains undisclosed, according to Kershaw County Coroner David West.
As a rising junior, McGuff was a prominent pitcher for the Camden High School Bulldogs varsity baseball team. He advanced from the junior varsity team as a freshman to the varsity squad in his sophomore year.
In April 2025, McGuff was honored as the Boys Spring Sports Athlete of the Week by The State newspaper after pitching a complete game for the Bulldogs.
Camden High School Principal Rose Montgomery released a statement commemorating McGuff. “Caiden was an outstanding student and remarkable athlete who gave his all on the field, and a wonderful friend to so many in our Bulldog family,” Montgomery stated.
The Camden High School baseball team shared a statement on social media regarding McGuff’s passing. The team expressed their grief and noted McGuff’s status as a rising junior. While deeply saddened, they conveyed gratitude for the time spent with him and extended thoughts and prayers to McGuff’s family and the broader baseball community.
McGuff is survived by his parents, Amanda Lynn Mossor McGuff and Matthew Ralph McGuff, along with one sister and three brothers. The Camden community and the broader South Carolina high school baseball network have shown significant support following his death.
A Celebration of Life service for McGuff took place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at Malvern Hill Baptist Church at 1514 Malvern Hill Drive in Camden, South Carolina. Reverend Dr. Craig Thompson officiated. The family requested that memorial donations be made to the Camden High School Baseball Team at 1022 Ehrenclou Drive, Camden, South Carolina, 29020.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash. No preliminary findings on potential contributing factors have been released.
McGuff’s death is among several fatal crashes in Kershaw County in 2025. South Carolina recorded at least 484 traffic fatalities by mid-July 2025, according to traffic safety data. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues to consider traffic crashes a major public safety concern in South Carolina, despite advancements in vehicle safety and road design.
