South Carolina man dies after crash that left another driver hospitalized, officials say
A South Carolina man died in a Midlands hospital days after a crash that left another person injured, officials said.
Joseph T. Ray, a 35-year-old Saluda resident, died at Lexington Medical Center on Nov. 15, three days after the wreck, Saluda County Coroner Keith Turner said.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 5:45 a.m. Nov. 12 at the intersection of U.S. 178/Batesburg Highway and Duncan Road, according to Master Trooper William Bennett of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. That’s in the Batesburg-Leesville area, near W.W. King Academy.
Ray was driving a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck north on Duncan Road, and at the intersection it collided with a 2010 Jeep that was heading east on U.S. 178, Bennett said. Both vehicles then ran off the left side of the road, where the Chevy crashed into a ditch and the Jeep flipped over, Bennett said.
Ray was taken to Lexington Medical Center and died on the morning of Nov. 15, Turner said. Ray was the only person in the Chevy pickup, Bennett said.
The Jeep driver, who was the only person in that vehicle, was taken to a hospital, Bennett said. Further information on the Jeep driver’s condition was not available.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no word on whether either driver was wearing a seat belt.
Information about what led to the collision was not available.
Through Nov. 10, at least 837 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least six people have died in Saluda County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data.
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This story was originally published November 17, 2024 at 8:38 AM.
