Two more people killed as death toll rises from crashes in one Midlands county
There were two more deadly crashes in Orangeburg County Monday, continuing a recent trend of fatal collisions in the Midlands county over the past three-plus weeks.
In only the past three days, three people have been killed and three others injured in three unrelated wrecks in Orangeburg County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Including those crashes, now 11 people have died and 12 more have been hurt in 11 separate fatal collisions in Orangeburg County since Sept. 18, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Monday afternoon
The most recent collision happened Monday at about 12:10 p.m., according to Master Trooper Tyler Tidwell.
A 2011 Hyundai Sonata was driving east on Interstate 26, and near the 166 mile marker the car ran off the right side of the road and flipped over, according to Tidwell.
The driver was the only person in the car and died on the scene, Tidwell said. The Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the driver.
There was no word if the driver wore a seat belt.
Information about what caused the car to run off I-26 was not available, but the crash is being investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Monday morning
Earlier Monday, one person died and three others were injured in a three-vehicle collision, according to Tidwell.
At about 7:40 a.m., a 2020 Nissan Altima and a 2015 Lincoln SUV were driving north on U.S. 321, Tidwell said. A 2007 box truck was driving south and near the intersection with Hutto Road it hit the Lincoln before crashing head on into the Nissan, according to Tidwell.
The Nissan driver was killed while a passenger along with the driver and passnger in the Lincoln were injured and taken to Regional Medical Center Orangeburg, Tidwell said.
The two people in the box truck were not hurt and no other injuries were reported, according to Tidwell.
There was no word if any of the people involved in the wreck wore seat belts.
The coroner’s office has not publicly identified the Nissan driver.
Saturday
There was another fatal crash in Orangeburg County Saturday.
That single-vehicle collision happened at about 2:30 a.m., on U.S. 601 near Family Circle, Tidwell said.
A 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis was driving south on U.S. 601 when it ran off the right side of the road, according to Tidwell. The driver overcorrected and the car veered across the road and off the left side where it went air born and crashed into a utility pole, Tidwell said.
The driver, who was the only occupant, died on scene, according to Tidwell.
That driver also has not been publicly identified by the coroner’s office and there was no word if a seat belt was used.
Death toll
There have also been deadly crashes in Orangeburg County on:
▪ Oct. 5, where two people died and four were hurt in two unrelated collisions
▪ Oct. 1, when one person died
▪ Sept. 28, when one person died
▪ Sept. 27, when one person died
▪ Sept. 25, when one person died and another was injured
▪ Sept. 21, when one person died and four others were hurt
▪ Sept. 18, when one person died
At least 38 people have died in Orangeburg County crashes in 2022, data shows. Last year, 45 deaths were reported there, DPS reported.
Through Sunday, 810 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2022, according to DPS. Last year, 1,194 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
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