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Motorcycle rider killed crash identified by Richland County coroner

A motorcycle rider died a day after crashing into the back of another vehicle on a road in Richland County, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Robert F. Leslie, a 76-year-old Elgin resident, was identified as the man killed in the wreck, according to the Richland County Coroner’s Office.

The two-vehicle collision happened Saturday at about 5:15 p.m. on Two Notch Road/U.S. 1 near the intersection with Vallenga Road, Master Trooper David Jones said. That’s in Elgin, about 3 miles from the Village at Sandhill shopping center.

Both a 2005 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a 2004 Chevrolet SUV were heading north on Two Notch Road, according to Jones. When the Chevy stopped for traffic, the Harley-Davidson crashed into the rear of the SUV, Jones said.

Leslie was taken to an area hospital and died there on Sunday, Jones said.

The person driving the Chevy was wearing a seat belt and was not hurt, according to Jones.

No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.

Through Monday morning, 147 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, including 14 motorcycle riders, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Eight of those riders were not wearing helmets, DPS reported.

On Sunday, a 47-year-old South Carolina man was killed in a Harley-Davidson motorcycle crash with another vehicle, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said.

There have been at least seven people killed in Richland County crashes in 2021, and this is the first involving a motorcycle, 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 8:38 AM.

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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