Driver killed in Lexington County wreck identified by coroner
A person is dead after wrecking a vehicle near Batesburg-Leesville in Lexington County.
Just after midnight, the driver of a 2001 GMC Yukon ran off the right side of Brodie Road near Yorkshire Court, the South Carolina Highway Patrol reported. That’s about 3 miles outside central Batesburg-Leesville.
The driver struck an embankment, flipping the vehicle, and hit a tree, a trooper said. The driver was thrown out of the vehicle and died. The driver was not wearing a seat belt.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 44-year-old Nicholus Maurice Brown of Leesville. The Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
According to the Highway Patrol, 396 people have died in crashes this year in South Carolina, including 19 in Lexington County. At least 130 people were not wearing seat belts.
As summer starts and more people begin to travel, the Highway Patrol has a campaign to remind people to wear seat belts, to not drink and drive and to watch out for motorcycles. Police agencies across the state have increased patrols checking for seat belt violations and drunk drivers, particularly on holidays like Memorial Day weekend.
This story was originally published May 29, 2021 at 12:18 PM.