RICHLAND COUNTY, SC — A 55-year-old Irmo truck driver was killed Tuesday night when the tractor trailer he was driving hit a guard rail on westbound Interstate 20 near the Alpine Road exit. The empty tanker truck ran off the right side of the road, hit several trees and flipped onto its right side, tropper Brent Kelly of the SC Highway Patrol said.

The single vehicle incident occured around 6:20p.m.and tied up traffic for several hours. The driver, who has not been publically identified, was pronounced dead on the scene. He was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident Kelly said.

The highway patrol continues to investigate.

-- Rachael Myers Lowe