Three days after a crash in Aynor, a motorcyclist died.
Melissa Lubrico, 45, of Galivants Ferry, died March 10 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said in an email.
Tributes have poured in for famed Aino hairstylist Melissa Lubrico, who died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on March 7, 2026. Lubrico works in a salon in Aino.
(Kolor Me Klassy)
According to a Facebook post from Horry County Fire Rescue, the incident occurred at about 9:38 p.m. on March 7 at Bud Graham Road and Seventh Avenue.
Lubrico was a passenger on a 2023 Harley-Davidson motorcycle when the crash occurred, according to an email from South Carolina Highway Patrol Capt. Joseph Rowell.
The motorcyclist was traveling along Seventh Avenue when the vehicle crossed left of center and ran off the road, Rowell said. Lubrico was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Ryan Carl Peavy, 44, was arrested March 8 and charged with driving under the influence causing death and felony hit-and-run. He was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center and released at home.
She is a “firecracker”
According to social media posts, Lubrico is a hairstylist and mother. Friends described her as kind and full of life.
She posted a video of herself riding her motorcycle on the day of the accident on her Facebook page, tagging the post “My happy place!”
The Kolor Me Klassy salon in Aino, where Lubrico worked, posted on its Facebook that the salon would be closed on Wednesday.
“Melissa truly loved each and every one of her customers and the community she served,” the post read. “She tragically left us and will be deeply missed by so many. She left a lasting impact on this golden town and on the hearts of everyone who knew her. … No one can replace her and her presence will always be in this store!! She was more than just a coworker, she was a friend, a mother, a sister, a second mother and an absolute best friend. Our hearts are broken.”
Joy Harris, owner of the salon, said Lubrico had been with the business for nine years. Harris said Lubrico was a barber who mostly cut hair for men and there was always a line waiting.
Harris and Lubrico have been close “from the day we met.” “We raised our children together and went through life’s tragedies together,” she said.
Riding a motorcycle is Lubrico’s favorite thing to do, Harris said.
“Her smile lit up the room,” Harris said. “She’s quirky, funny, and the boldest, most honest person you’ll ever meet.”
Harris said the mother-of-two was only 4ft 10in tall but was a “firecracker”.
Harris said Lubrico died at the hospital on March 9 as her family and friends held an honor walk for her organ donation.
Harris and others are working to organize a memorial service for Lubrico, who was from New York, where her family still lives.
