A York County judge denied bail to Joel Laron Smith, 22, of Fort Mill, charged with DUI resulting in death after a fatal crash in Rock Hill.

Smith faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted on the DUI charge and a reckless homicide charge. He has been held in the York County jail without bail since the Feb. 27 crash on Celanese Road near Interstate 77 that killed Marybeth Robinson, 43, of Indian Land. Robinson was a mother of two.

The Rock Hill Herald reported Sept. 19 that prosecutors presented evidence Smith had drugs in his system at the time of the crash. The specific drugs have not been publicly disclosed.

A judge had also denied Smith bail at a July hearing, when prosecutors said they were still awaiting toxicology results. The Sept. 19 ruling came after those results were received.

Rock Hill police's Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team upgraded the charges against Smith after receiving the toxicology report. In a Wednesday, Sept. 16, statement, police said investigators determined Smith was under the influence of drugs that impaired his ability to safely operate his vehicle at the time of the collision.

The crash happened around 3:17 p.m. on Feb. 27. Police said Smith was driving a Hyundai Sonata off southbound I-77 at Exit 82 at speeds close to 70 mph when he lost control. The car went airborne as it crossed a median on Celanese Road, struck a Ford Ranger pickup truck, then continued and hit Robinson's Toyota Sienna minivan, according to WCNC. Robinson was taken to Piedmont Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

At a July 2026 court hearing, prosecutors said marijuana was allegedly found in Smith's car along with a canister of nitrous oxide purchased from a smoke shop. Smith also allegedly told police he had used kratom pills in the days before the crash, the Herald reported.

Smith's attorney argued at the July hearing that Smith was trying to dislodge a floor mat jammed between the gas and brake pedals.

Smith is a convicted felon. He also faces a weapon charge for an illegal gun found in the car, according to the Herald.

Robinson was a physical therapist who graduated from Appalachian State University and the Medical University of South Carolina. She was active at Transformation Church in Indian Land and is survived by her husband, Joey Robinson, and their two sons.

Smith was initially arrested on Feb. 27 and charged with reckless homicide and operating an uninsured vehicle. The felony DUI charge was added after toxicology results were received. No trial date has been announced.