One killed, another hurt when car runs off highway and crashes into trees, SC cops say
One person was killed and another was injured Monday when a car ran off an interstate and smashed into several trees, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 3:15 p.m. on a section of Interstate 26 running through Orangeburg County, according to Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell.
A BMW sedan was driving west on I-26, toward Columbia, Tidwell said. Near the 164 mile marker, the car ran off the right side of the highway and into the woods where it collided with multiple trees, according to Tidwell. That’s in the Bowman area, about 5 miles past the junction with Interstate 95.
The driver of the car was injured and taken to an area hospital, Tidwell said. Further information on the driver’s condition was not available.
A passenger in the car was killed, according to Tidwell. There was no word if the passenger died at the scene or was also taken to a hospital.
The Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the passenger after notifying the next of kin.
Information about if any of the people involved in the wreck wore seat belts was not available.
There was no word what caused the car to veer off I-26, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through Monday, 417 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2022, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,194 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 13 people have been killed in Orangeburg County crashes in 2022, according to DPS. There were 45 deaths there last year, DPS data shows.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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