Tractor-trailer rear-ends car on I-20, kills driver and passengers, SC Highway Patrol says

Three people died after a tractor-trailer hit a car on a highway in Richland County, the South Carolina Highway Patrol announced.

Just after 2 a.m. on Saturday, a 2016 Kia Forte and a 2011 Freightliner tractor-trailer were driving westbound on Interstate 20 near Arcadia Lakes at mile marker 76, Master Trooper Michael Ridgeway said. The Kia stopped on the roadway, and the tractor-trailer struck it in the rear.

No other details were available.

The driver and the two passengers inthe Kia Forte died from their injuries on the scene. The Richland County Coroner’s Office identified them as 28-year-old Danesha Walker of Columbia, 25-year-old Shyheim White of Gadsden and 24-year-old Zhyon Burgess of Spartanburg.

“This truly is a tragic accident and hearts go out to the families and those impacted by this tragedy. We will continue working with the South Carolina Highway Patrol to fully investigate this accident”, Coroner Naida Rutherford said in a statement.

The driver of the tractor-trailer wasn’t injured.

All lanes of I-20 were blocked directly following the crash, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. It was cleared later Saturday morning.

The SC Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the incident.

Through Saturday, there have been 229 traffic fatalities in the Palmetto State, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.

This story was originally published April 13, 2024 at 12:23 PM.

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.