Lexington County man killed in truck crash identified by coroner
One person was killed and another was injured in an overnight crash on a Lexington County road, South Carolina Highway Patrol said Tuesday.
Richard Earl Barnes died while being taken to an area hospital, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said. The 49-year-old Leesville resident was a passenger in a Ford Ranger pickup truck, according to Fisher.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 3:40 a.m. on S.C. 113/Wagener Highway, near the intersection with U.S. 178, according to Master Trooper David Jones. That’s in the Leesville area, about 6 miles from Exit 39 on Interstate 20.
The pickup truck was driving north on S.C. 113 when it ran off the left side of the road and hit a tree, Jones said. It was a head-on collision, according to Fisher.
The driver was hurt and taken to an area hospital, according to Jones. Further information on the driver’s condition was not available.
Barnes was a passenger in the front seat, Jones said. Neither Barnes nor the driver wore a seat belt, according to Fisher.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no word if there will be any criminal charges, or what caused the pickup to veer off the road, but the collision continues to be investigated by Highway Patrol.
Through Tuesday, 44 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2022, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Of those, 35 of the victims had access to seat belts, but 15 were not wearing them, DPS reported.
Last year, 1,122 people died in crashes in South Carolina, and 655 had access to seat belts but were not wearing safety restraints, DPS data shows.
This is the first fatal crash reported in Lexington County in 2022, while 56 died there last year, according to DPS.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 10:04 AM.
