Police seeking hit and run driver that lost a tire, caused deadly Richland I-20 crash
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is searching for a driver in a Richland County hit and run that left one dead, another seriously hurt and two others with injuries, according to the state police.
The driver was towing a trailer along Interstate 20 early Thursday morning when a tire flew off the trailer, crossed the median and hit another car, the Highway Patrol said.
The vehicle that was towing the trailer is currently unknown. The trailer is a small to medium sized utility trailer, boat trailer or box trailer with drum brakes equipped with ST 205/75R15 tires, the patrol said.
The wreck happened about 1 a.m. near mile marker 67 on I-20, Master Trooper David Jones said. That’s near the Broad River Road exit in Columbia, just beyond the area known as Malfunction Junction.
A 2006 Toyota Corolla was heading east on I-20 when the unknown vehicle going in the opposite direction lost the trailer wheel, according to the Highway Patrol. The tire crossed the median and smashed into the Corolla.
After the initial collision, the Corolla lost control and collided with the median barrier, according to the Highway Patrol. A passenger in the front seat was killed and the driver seriously injured. Two others in the backseat also sustained injuries, police said.
Multiple eastbound lanes of I-20 were closed for hours following the wreck, South Carolina Department of Transportation tweeted.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts identified the deceased passenger as 41-year-old Robert Jones Jr. of Fifth Street in Pendleton, South Carolina.
The Highway Patrol asked that anyone with information about the collision or the driver towing the trailer contact troopers at 803-896-9621 or contact Midlands Crime Stoppers at 888-274-6372 or by visiting midlandscrimestoppers.com.