Coroner IDs truck driver killed in fiery crash that shut down Lexington Co. highway
A truck driver was killed in a Sunday crash that sparked a fire and caused an hours-long traffic jam on a major interstate running through Lexington County.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 5:30 p.m. when tractor trailer truck ran off Interstate 20, said Cpl. Sonny Collins of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The truck was heading west on I-20 when it smashed into a bridge support at the 56 mile marker, which is the overpass for Cedarcrest Drive, according to Collins. That’s between the junctions for S.C. 6 and U.S. 1.
The driver was killed and the wreck caused a fire, Collins said.
Benjamin Edward Parker was identified as the driver by Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. The 44-year-old from Douglasville, Georgia died at the scene from injuries sustained in what Fisher called an accident.
Parker was the only person in the truck, and was wearing a seat belt, according to Fisher. No other injuries were reported.
The crash and fire caused both directions of I-20 to be closed, the South Carolina Department of Transportation said on Twitter.
Drivers were backed up for miles on Sunday evening, traffic cameras showed. The highway was not cleared until after 11 p.m., according to SCDOT.
Detours through Lexington were set up, and Highway Patrol warned drivers to avoid the area if possible, and to expect delays.
Police told drivers on the Monday morning commute to avoid taking the Cedarcrest Drive overpass, which will be closed until further notice because of the damage caused by the crash.
Information on what caused the truck to veer off I-20 was not available.
The collision remains under investigation by Highway Patrol.
Through Friday afternoon, 690 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2020, according to the Department of Public Safety. This was at least the 27th person killed in a Lexington County crash in 2020.
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 8:31 AM.
