Driver killed when car crashed & flipped by Midlands road identified by SC coroner

One person was killed over the weekend when a car ran off a Midlands road where it crashed and flipped over, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

Wayne Lee Willis, a 69-year-old Blythewood resident, was the driver who died in the accident, according to the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday in Fairfield County, according to Lance Cpl. Nick Pye.

A 2004 Ford sedan was driving south on Candlewood Circle and ran off the left side of the road near the intersection with Little Cedar Creek Road, Pye said. That’s in the Blythewood area, near U.S. 321.

After going off the road, the Ford hit a ditch and crashed into a tree then overturned, according to Pye. The car then burst into flames, the coroner’s office said.

Willis was entrapped inside the car, according to the coroner’s office.

There was no word if driver was wearing a seat belt.

No other injuries were reported.

An autopsy is scheduled with Newberry Pathology to determine the cause of death.

Information about what caused the car to veer off the road was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.

Through Sunday, 957 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 seven people have died in Fairfield County crashes in 2022, DPS reported. Last year, 10 deaths were reported there, according to DPS data.

This story was originally published November 28, 2022 at 7:41 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription