Driver killed after dump truck crashes, knocks down highway sign in Richland County
One person was killed in a crash that caused a long traffic jam on a section of an interstate running through Columbia, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said Wednesday.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 4:45 p.m. and affected drivers heading in both directions on Interstate 20, Master Trooper David Jones said. The accident happened near Exit 65, which is the connection with U.S. 176/Broad River Road, and near the area called Malfunction Junction.
A 1994 Western Star dump truck was heading east on I-20 when it ran off the left side of the road and smashed into a concrete median barrier and a road sign, according to Jones.
The sign fell into both eastbound and westbound lanes, where it was hit by several vehicles, Jones said.
The dump truck driver died after being taken to an area hospital, according to Jones.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office will publicly identify the driver after performing an autopsy and notifying the next of kin.
No other injuries were reported by the Highway Patrol.
The crash blocked traffic as lanes were closed in both directions of I-20 until about 8 p.m., according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Information on what caused the dump truck to veer into the median was not available, but the crash is being investigated by Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.
There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.
Through Wednesday, 867 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2020, according to the Department of Public Safety.
At least 41 people have been killed in Richland County crashes in 2020, according to DPS.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 9:30 AM.
