One driver killed, another hurt in fiery crash on Lexington County road, SC cops say
One person died and another was hospitalized after a late night crash on a Lexington County road, South Carolina Highway Patrol said Wednesday.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 10:25 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 321, near the intersection with Old Wire Road, according to Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell. That’s in the West Columbia area.
A 1998 Honda Civic was driving south on U.S. 321 and was turning onto a private driveway when it collided with a 2006 Honda Accord that was heading north, Tidwell said.
The impact of the crash sent both cars off the road and sparked a fire in the Civic, which soon was engulfed in flames, according to Tidwell.
The driver of the Civic was killed, Tidwell said.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the Civic driver after notifying the next of kin.
The person driving the Accord was hurt and taken to Prisma Health Richland hospital, according to Tidwell. Further information on that driver’s condition was not available.
No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.
There was no word if any of the occupants in the collision wore seat belts.
Information about possible criminal charges was not available, but the collision continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through Tuesday morning, 74 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2022, state Department of Public Safety data shows. Last year, 1,121 people died in crashes in South Carolina, according to DPS.
At least two people have been killed in Lexington County crashes in 2022, while 56 died last year, according to DPS.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 6:54 AM.
