Midlands woman killed in overnight crash identified by SC coroner’s office
A Midlands resident was killed in an overnight crash, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said Sunday.
Mary Laverne Long, 45, died at the scene, according to Saluda County Coroner Keith Turner.
The single-vehicle collision happened about 12:15 a.m. in Saluda County, according to Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway.
Long, a Batesburg resident, was driving a 2003 Chevrolet sedan south on S.C. 23, Ridgeway said. Near the intersection with Dickert Drive, the Chevy ran off the the right side of the road, where it hit a ditch and crashed into a utility pole, according to Ridgeway. That’s about three miles from Batesburg-Leesville High School.
Long was ejected from the car, according to the coroner.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.
Information about what caused the Chevy to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.
Through Jan. 29, at least 58 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,075 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
This is the first fatal crash in Saluda County this year, DPS data shows. Last year, two deaths were reported in the county.
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This story was originally published February 5, 2023 at 12:07 PM.
