Pickup truck driver left crash that killed Midlands man riding a bike, SC cops say
One man was killed in a hit-and-run crash on a Midlands road and a search is underway for the driver who left the scene, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The collision happened in Dalzell at about 10:45 p.m. Monday, said Master Trooper David Jones.
Patrick Drake died at the scene, according to Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker. Drake’s body was discovered by a passerby about 12 hours later on Tuesday morning, Baker said.
Drake, a 59-year-old Dalzell resident, was riding his bicycle on Charles Jackson Street when he was hit by a vehicle, throwing him from the bike, Baker said. That’s near U.S. 521, about 9 miles from Sumter.
Drake was heading south in the northbound lane when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction crashed into him, according to Jones.
Investigators believe a Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck was the vehicle that hit Drake and continued going north toward U.S. 521 and the Dalzell Grocery store, Jones said.
The color of the pickup truck isn’t know, but the Ford should have damage to the driver’s side, specifically the headlight, according to Jones.
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Both the coroner’s office and Highway Patrol continue to investigate the crash.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run crash is asked to call a Highway Patrol at 803-896-9621 or 800-768-1501, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
Through Tuesday afternoon, 352 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, including four bicyclists, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
At least 14 people have been killed in Sumter County crashes in 2021, DPS reported.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 9:22 AM.
