Elderly Columbia woman dies in fatal crash after hitting trees, SC coroner says

An 87-year-old woman died in a single-vehicle collision Thursday afternoon In Lexington County.

According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a 2018 Toyota SUV was driving south on Old Sandy Run Road, about three miles east of Gaston.

At 2:30 p.m., the car was approaching the intersection with Pine Plain Road near Swansea, when it drove off the road to the right and struck an embankment and some trees, said Lance Cpl. William Bennett.

The driver was transported to Prisma Health Richland. She died at the hospital as a result of her injuries.

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has identified the driver as Elfriede Kreutzer Martin, 87, of Columbia. She was wearing her seatbelt.

As of Friday, 851 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

The S.C. Highway Patrol and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office are continuing to investigate the incident.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.