Richland County resident killed when van crashes into trees by highway, SC cops say
A Richland County resident was killed Tuesday in an early morning crash on an interstate running through the Midlands, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Grady Hinton, a 55-year-old Hopkins resident, died in the accident, Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill said.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 3:10 a.m. on a section of Interstate 77 in Fairfield County, said Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway.
Hinton was driving a 2020 Chevrolet van south on I-77 when it ran off the left side of the highway at the 31 mile marker, according to Ridgeway. That’s near the Blythewood area, a few miles from the Richland County line.
The Chevy crashed into several trees and Hinton died at the scene, Ridgeway said.
There was no word if Hinton was wearing a seat belt.
No other injuries were reported.
An autopsy is scheduled with Newberry Pathology to determine the exact cause of death, according to Hill.
Information about what caused the Chevy to veer off I-77 wasn’t available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.
Through Sunday, 92 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.
At least two people have died in Fairfield County County crashes this year, DPS data shows. Last year, nine deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 2:59 PM.
