Driver killed when pickup truck flips over and crashes into tree, SC cops say
One person was killed when a pickup truck ran off a Midlands road early Tuesday morning, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.
William Cook, 42, of Newberry was identified as the driver who died, according to Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 12:30 a.m., near the intersection of Mudlick Road and Rosezinnia Drive, Master Trooper Gary Miller said. That’s in the Silverstreet area of Newberry County.
A 2004 GMC pickup truck was heading south on Mudlick when it ran off the right side of the road before veering across and off the left side of the road, according to Miller. The pickup truck then hit a ditch and flipped over before crashing into a tree, Miller said.
Cook, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and died on the scene, according to Miller.
An autopsy has been scheduled for this week, according to the Newberry County Coroner’s Office.
There were no other people in the pickup truck and no other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.
Information on what caused the pickup truck to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.
Through Friday afternoon, 501 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows. Of those, 343 had access to seat belts, but 172 were not wearing them, DPS reported.
At least seven people have been killed in Newberry County crashes in 2021, and seat belts were not used in five of the deaths, according to DPS.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 8:06 AM.
