Head-on crash in Columbia kills one driver, hurts another, SC Highway Patrol says

One driver died and another was hospitalized after a head-on crash on a Columbia road Monday, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The two-vehicle collision happened at about 2 p.m. near the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and Swandale Drive, Master Trooper David Jones said. That’s between Keenan High School and Exit 71 on Interstate 20.

A 2008 Acura was heading north on Wilson Boulevard when it crossed left of the center line and crashed head-on with a 2009 Kia minivan traveling in the opposite direction, according to Jones.

The driver of the Acura was not wearing a seat belt and died on the scene, Jones said.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the Acura driver after notifying the next of kin.

The minivan driver was wearing a seat belt and was taken to an area hospital, according to Jones. Further information on the driver’s condition was not available.

No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.

There was no word on what caused the car to veer into oncoming traffic, but the crash continues to be investigated by Highway Patrol.

Through Monday afternoon, 537 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows. Of those, 366 had access to seat belts, but 185 were not wearing them, DPS reported.

At least 25 people have been killed in Richland County crashes in 2021, and seat belts were not used in 13 of the incidents, according to DPS.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 7:40 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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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