Car runs off Lexington County road, flips and hits trees in deadly crash, SC cops say

A Midlands man was killed Monday in a crash where the car he was driving hit multiple trees, South Carolina officials said.

William Eugene Sullivan, a 32-year-old Leesville resident, died in the accident, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 11:45 a.m. in the 3600 block of Neely Wingard Road, according to Lance Cpl. William Bennett of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. That’s in Leesville, near the intersection with U.S. 178/Fairview Road.

Sullivan was driving a 2003 Infiniti coupe west when the car crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, then overcorrected and ran off the right side of the road, Bennett said. The car then hit an embankment and a tree before flipping over and crashing into another tree, according to Bennett.

Sullivan, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, Fisher said.

Bennett said Sullivan was the only person in the car, and no other injuries were reported.

Information about what caused the car to veer across the center line was not available, but Fisher said her office and the Highway Patrol continue to investigate the collision.

Through Sunday, 471 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 21 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 43 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.

This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 8:22 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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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