Traffic

Driver hit by vehicle after getting out of wrecked SUV on I-77 in Columbia

A driver on Interstate 77 in Columbia died Saturday after getting out of their wrecked vehicle, which was then hit by a truck, police said.

The incident happened at about 6:30 a.m. near mile marker 10 on I-77, which is the Fort Jackson Boulevard exit.

The driver of a sport utility vehicle was traveling in the northbound lane and ran off the road, striking a guard rail, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Tyler Tidwell.

The vehicle ran back into the roadway and came to a halt. The driver got out of the SUV, Tidwell said.

A box truck hit the SUV, which then struck the driver who had exited the vehicle, Tidwell reported. The SUV’s driver was killed.

The person killed will be publicly identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office after the next-of-kin is informed of the death.

The collision caused I-77 northbound lanes to be blocked until about 10:30 a.m.

David Travis Bland
The State
David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription
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