A wreck-filled week in the Midlands ends with at least one dead and one charged
A week filled with wrecks on Midlands interstates ended early Saturday with one person charged with causing a deadly crash.
Between Feb. 12 and Feb. 20, at least 58 wrecks occurred on Interstates 20, 26, 77 and 126 in the Midlands, the South Carolina Department of Transportation reported.
About 2 a.m. Saturday on I-26 in Lexington County, a vehicle rammed into the back of van that had slowed for traffic, troopers said. The van then slammed into the rear of a truck. The wreck happened in the westbound lane near Exit 91 for Columbia Avenue.
Troopers said Christian Luna started the three-vehicle wreck and charged him with driving under the influence and causing a death. Two others were hospitalized after the collision.
Luna faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.
In the crash-filled week, 28 wrecks were on I-26, according to the transportation department. Seventeen wrecks were on I-20. Eleven were I-77. Two collisions happened on I-126 in Columbia. Two wrecks on I-26 happened within minutes on Feb. 13.
Wet conditions may have contributed to the unusual amount of wrecks. Roadways were slicked with rain last weekend.
Most of the wrecks happened Feb. 13-14. In those two days, 22 wrecks occurred.
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 2:33 PM.