Car runs off SC road, crashes into trees and goes up in flames, Highway Patrol says
One person was killed Thursday in an early morning car crash near a Midlands road, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 6:35 a.m. in Sumter County, said Lance Cpl. William Bennett.
A 2016 Tesla sedan was driving east on 12 Bridges Road, in the area between U.S. 521 and Old Manning Road, when it ran off the left side of the road, according to Bennett.
The car hit several trees and flipped over before catching on fire, Bennett said.
As the car was overturning, the driver was ejected and died at the scene, according to Bennett.
The Sumter County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the driver.
There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.
Bennett said the driver was the only person in the car, and no other injuries were reported.
Information about what caused the Tesla to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through Sunday, 762 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 23 people have died in Sumter County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 30 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 1:10 PM.
