Teen dies after crashing into several trees near Richland County road, officials say
A teenager was killed Wednesday when a car ran off a Richland County road and crashed into several trees.
Jackson M. Harper, 17, of Chapin, was identified as the crash victim by Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 3:30 p.m., near the intersection of Peace Haven Road and Holly Bickley Road, according to Master Trooper David Jones of South Carolina Highway Patrol. That’s in the Chapin area, between U.S. 76 and Interstate 26.
A 1995 Ford Mustang ran off the right side of Peace Haven Road and hit multiple trees, Jones said.
Harper, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car during the wreck, according to Jones.
The teen was taken to an area hospital and later died, Jones said.
No other injuries were reported by the Highway Patrol.
There was no word on what caused the car to veer off the road, but the collision is being investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through Thursday morning, 725 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows. Of those, 491 of the victims had access to seat belts, but 243 were not wearing them, DPS reported.
At least 43 people have been killed in Richland County crashes in 2021, and 25 of them were not wearing seat belts, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 9:30 AM.
