Driver dies in Midlands collision with tractor-trailer truck

The driver of a Kia Soul was killed early Saturday morning after colliding with a tractor-trailer truck in Orangeburg County.

At around 5:45 a.m., the 2017 Kia Soul went “left of center” and struck the Freightliner tractor trailer “head on,” according to Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The driver of the Kia was killed in the crash. There were no other passengers in the car, according to SCHP.

The Highway Patrol has not released the name of the driver.

The Kia was traveling west on SC 389 when the accident took place, Tidwell said. The Freightliner, whose driver was not injured in the crash, was traveling east.

The accident took place near Cornflower Road, approximately 6 miles west of Neeses, according to the Highway Patrol.

SCHP is investigating the incident.

Ted Clifford

The State

803-771-8315

Ted Clifford is the statewide accountability reporter at The State Newspaper. Formerly the crime and courts reporter, he has covered the Murdaugh saga, state and federal court, as well as criminal justice and public safety in the Midlands and across South Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2023 award for best beat reporting by the South Carolina Press Association.