Driver killed after car runs off Midlands road and crashes into tree, SC cops say
One person was killed in an overnight collision on a Midlands road, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 12:30 a.m. on a stretch of U.S. 76 less than a mile outside of Newberry, said Trooper Joe Hovis.
A 2009 Cadillac sedan was heading east on U.S. 76 when it ran off the right side of the road and smashed into a tree, according to Hovis.
The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the Cadillac before dying at the scene, Hovis said.
The Newberry County Coroner’s Office will publicly identify the driver after notifying the next of kin.
No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.
There was no word on what caused the Cadillac to veer off the road, but the wreck is being investigated by Highway Patrol.
At least 13 people have died on South Carolina roads in the first seven days of 2021, according to the Department of Public Safety. Of those, eight of the victims had access to seat belts, but four were not wearing them, DPS confirmed.
This is the first fatal collision in Newberry County in the new year, DPS data shows.
Overall, 1,016 people died on South Carolina roads in 2020, DPS reported. Of those, 695 had access to seat belts, but 347 were not wearing them, according to DPS.
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