SC driver dies after accidentally shooting self in groin, police say

South Carolina police say a man died after the gun he was carrying discharged into his groin while he was making a U-turn in his car.

A 35-year-old driver in North Charleston was found dead early Tuesday after his vehicle went off the road and struck a parked car in a parking lot, local outlets reported. Police say the incident occurred around 6:20 a.m. near the intersection of Rivers Avenue and Dalton Street.

A report from the North Charleston Police Department said the driver was attempting a U-turn on Rivers Avenue when he left the roadway, TV station WCBD reported. First responders to the scene “found a wound in the victim’s groin area consistent with a gunshot,” the report said.

Officials determined the man accidentally shot himself while driving the car, a police spokesman told WCSC TV.

A firearm and shell casing were recovered from the man’s vehicle, and the area was closed to traffic for about an hour during the investigation.

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription