Crash didn’t kill Columbia woman who died on interstate in Lexington, coroner says
A Columbia woman was found dead Sunday after a car crash on a major interstate running through Lexington County, officials said.
But the crash did not kill Vernetta Tillman, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. An autopsy showed the 73-year-old’s death was the result of a natural medical event, Fisher said.
Further information on that medical event was not available.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 11 a.m. near the 1 mile marker on Interstate 77, said Master Trooper David Jones of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. That’s the connection for U.S. 21, U.S. 176, and U.S. 321 in Cayce.
A 2013 Toyota Avalon was heading north on I-77 when the car ran off the left side of highway and crashed into a tree, according to Jones.
Tillman, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, Jones said.
No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.
The collision remains under investigation by Highway Patrol.
Through Monday morning, 147 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
There have been at least 12 people killed in Lexington County crashes in 2021, DPS data shows.
Overall, 1,036 people died on South Carolina roads in 2020, DPS reported.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 8:05 AM.
