Man heads to prison for DUI crash that left 2 boys dead in Spartanburg County

A man is headed to prison for hitting and killing two kids while they were riding their bikes in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

Eri Otoniel Roblero Perez, 31, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty on Monday to two counts of Felony DUI with death, as well as Open Container and Driving Without a License.

On Sunday, April 12, 2026, Mikhail’lee Smith, 8, and Dereon Robinson, 12, were riding their bicycles on the sidewalk along Asheville Highway with family members traveling behind them.

Perez was driving east on Asheville Highway in a 2016 Honda Accord when he ran off the right side of the road, struck both boys, a fence, and a tree.

WYFF News 4 Smith and Robinson both died at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

At the scene, law enforcement officers said they noted Perez’s stupor and difficulty exiting the driver’s seat of the Honda sedan.

Officers said they also saw multiple open containers in the vehicle Perez drove. Perez later disclosed that he drank about fifteen beers on Saturday night once he got off work.

When he woke up on Sunday feeling hungover, he drank eight more beers that morning before getting in the car to drive a family member to a laundromat, the investigation revealed.

“This is a parent’s worst nightmare – when you see children die like this because of someone’s lawlessness and total disregard for those around him," Solicitor Barry Barnette said.