SC man killed when car ran off Midlands road and hit tree is identified by coroner

One person was killed and another was hospitalized Sunday following a car crash on a Midlands road, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Joshua Allen Lee Bailey, a 37-year-old Sumter resident, died in the accident, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 7 a.m. in Sumter County, said Lance Cpl. Nick Pye of the Highway Patrol.

Bailey was driving a 2004 Pontiac Vibe north on Patriot Parkway, and near the intersection with Shaw Drive the car ran off the left side of the road, according to Pye. That’s not far from U.S. 378/Broad Street.

The car crashed into a tree, and Bailey died at the scene, Baker said.

A passenger in the Pontiac was injured and taken to an area hospital, Pye said. Further information on the passenger’s condition was not available.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word if either the driver or passenger were wearing seat belts.

Information about what caused the car 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 will be performed later this week at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Through Wednesday, 837 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 26 people have died in Sumter County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. There were 30 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported.

This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 8:11 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