One killed in crash that blocked highway in Richland County for hours, SC cops say
A crash killed one person and blocked a major interstate running through Columbia for hours, South Carolina Highway Patrol said Tuesday.
The three-vehicle collision happened at about 10:30 p.m. Monday, Master Trooper David Jones said. The wreck near Exit 73 on Interstate 20 caused a traffic jam for drivers on the road on Labor Day. That’s the junction with Interstate 77, heading to Charlotte and Columbia.
All of the eastbound lanes were closed for about two hours, and I-20 wasn’t cleared until close to 1:30 a.m., the South Carolina Department of Transportation said on Twitter.
The wreck occurred when the driver of a 2015 Nissan tried to slow down while heading east in the middle lane, Jones said. The Nissan was hit from behind by a 2012 Dodge Avenger, forcing the Nissan into the far right lane where it was hit from behind a second time by a 2018 Ford Fiesta, according to Jones.
The driver of the Nissan was killed, Jones said.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office will publicly identify that driver after performing an autopsy and notifying the next of kin.
The driver of the Dodge was hurt and was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Jones.
No other injuries were reported in the wreck.
All three drivers involved in the collision were wearing seat belts, Jones said.
Information on possible criminal charges was not available, but the crash remains under investigation by Highway Patrol.
Through Friday afternoon, 639 people have died in collisions on South Carolina roads in 2020, and this is at least the 31st reported in Richland County.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 8:39 AM.
