Names Released in Pennington County Fatal Crash

What:    Two vehicle fatal crash
Where:  Sheridan Lake Road near Boulder Hill Road, 13 miles west of Rapid City, SD 
When:   6:51 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2025

Driver 1: Willard D. Howard, Jr., 52-year-old male from Rapid City, SD, serious, non-life-threatening injuries
Vehicle 1: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado
Seat belt Used: No
Passenger 1: Margo Lea Howard, 51-year-old female from Lambert, MT, fatal injuries
Seat belt Used: No

Driver 2: Allison K. Henderson, 29-year-old female from Rapid City, SD, minor injuries
Vehicle 2: 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Seat belt Used: Yes

Pennington County, S.D.- Three people were injured, one fatally, in a two-vehicle crash Thursday morning 13 miles west of Rapid City, SD.

Preliminary crash information indicates Willard D. Howard, Jr., the driver of a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, was traveling westbound on Sheridan Lake Road, near the intersection with Boulder Hill Road. While traveling down a long icy hill, the Chevrolet crossed the center line and collided head-on with an eastbound 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Allison K. Henderson. 

Howard sustained serious, non-life-threatening injuries. Margo Lea Howard, a passenger in the truck, received fatal injuries. Neither were wearing seat belts. Henderson sustained minor injuries.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.

The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

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Note: Records of state-reportable crashes are now available at http://www.safesd.gov/ . Records should be available about 10 days after the investigation is complete.