1 killed, 2 injured after car hits culvert and tree in Lexington County

A Gaston man was killed after the car in which he was a passenger hit a ditch and then a tree near Swansea on Wednesday, according to the Lexington County Coroner's Office.

The crash happened about 2:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Saint Matthews Road near Swansea, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said in a release.

A vehicle traveling south on Saint Matthews exited the right side of the roadway, hitting a ditch and a tree, Fisher said. Arbie Dewayne "Wayne" Taylor, 48, of Gaston, was a passenger and was not wearing a seat belt.

Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries, Fisher said. The driver and another passenger were taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

It was not immediately clear if the driver and other passenger were wearing seat belts.

The crash is under investigation by the S.C. Highway Patrol.

This story was originally published May 31, 2018 at 6:53 AM with the headline "1 killed, 2 injured after car hits culvert and tree in Lexington County."