Chapin woman killed in crash that shut down highway in Richland County ID’d by coroner
One person was killed and three more were hospitalized following a crash that shut down part of a major highway running through Richland County Wednesday night, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The three-vehicle collision happened shortly after 8 p.m. near the 95 mile marker on Interstate 26, Cpl. Matt Southern said. That’s close to Exit 97, which is the junction with U.S. 176.
All of the eastbound lanes heading toward Columbia were blocked by the wreck, the South Carolina Department of Transportation said on Twitter. It took more than an hour for I-26 to be cleared, SCDOT tweeted.
It was a chain-reaction crash, with one car hitting the back of a vehicle, causing it to collide with another vehicle, Southern said.
A 2019 Ford F250 pulling a camper was headed east on I-26 when it slowed for traffic, according to Southern. The car behind it, a 2008 Toyota Matrix, also slowed down for traffic.
A third vehicle, a 2012 Honda Accord did not slow down in time and rammed into the back of Toyota, causing it to smash into the rear of Ford with the trailer, Southern said.
The driver in the Toyota was killed, and two passengers were hurt and taken to an area hospital, according to Southern.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watt publicly identified the driver as Rebecca Wafler. An autopsy showed the 71-year-old Chapin resident died at the scene from blunt force trauma, Watts said.
The driver of the Accord was also hospitalized with injuries suffered in the wreck, Southern said.
None of the three occupants in the Ford were hurt, according to Southern.
Further information on the conditions of the people injured in the crash was not available.
All seven of the people involved in the collision were wearing seat belts, Highway Patrol reported.
There was no word on possible criminal charges, but the wreck remains under investigation by Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.
Prior to the collision, 490 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2020, according to the Department of Public Safety.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 8:18 AM.
