Icy road blamed in fatal collision on Midlands stretch of interstate

One person died following a single-vehicle collision on an interstate running through the Midlands Thursday.

The collision occurred just after 10 a.m. on I-95, near the 105 mile marker in Clarendon County, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. David Jones.

A 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer was traveling in a northbound lane when it hit ice in the road and spun out of control, Jones said. It veered off the left shoulder of the interstate and into the median, where it struck several trees.

Both the driver and a front-seat passenger were wearing seat belts, but the passenger had to be taken to an area hospital where she later died, Jones said.

The passenger’s identity has not been released by the Clarendon County Coroner’s Office until coroner Bucky Mock is able to notify her family.

There was no word if the driver of the vehicle, from Fayetteville, N.C., was injured.

The incident remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

This is the second fatal collision in the Midlands in less than 24 hours that might have been caused by poor driving conditions following Wednesday’s winter snow storm in S.C.

Arther Ted Cumbie Jr., of Darlington, died from blunt-force trauma and massive head injuries, after his truck slid off I-20 and into a median before striking several trees Wednesday. Icy road conditions were blamed in the incident that took place on I-20 near mile marker 103, in Kershaw County, around 5 p.m.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Icy road blamed in fatal collision on Midlands stretch of interstate."