Columbia man survived one crash only to be killed when hit by tractor trailer, officials say
One person was killed early Monday morning when a tractor trailer hit an SUV, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Herbert Cayruth Nelson III, a 44-year-old Columbia resident, died at the scene of the crash, Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill said.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 2 a.m. on a stretch of Interstate 77 in Fairfield County, said Master Trooper Gary Miller of the Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred near the 30 mile marker on I-77, according to Miller. That’s where a Hummer H3 was disabled in a northbound lane from a previous collision, Miller said.
The SUV ran off I-77 and hit a guard rail before returning back onto the highway, according to Hill.
A 2024 Freightliner tractor trailer was driving north on I-77 when it crashed into the immobilized Hummer, killing the SUV driver, according to Miller.
The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured, but a passenger in the truck was hurt and had to be taken to a hospital in Columbia, Miller said. Further information on the passenger’s condition was not available.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no word if either of the drivers or the tractor trailer passenger were wearing seat belts.
The deadly crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office. An autopsy is scheduled with Newberry Pathology to confirm Nelson’s cause of death, Hill said.
Through Wednesday, 765 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 10 people have died in Fairfield County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, nine deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 11:07 AM.
