Two people killed in wrong way crash on I-26, South Carolina cops say
Two people were killed Monday in a crash on Interstate 26 that left another person hospitalized, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 12:45 a.m. on a stretch of I-26 in Charleston County, said Cpl. Nick Pye.
A 2019 Volkswagen was driving west in the eastbound lanes of I-26, according to Pye. At the 216-mile marker, which is near the line separating Charleston and North Charleston, the Volkswagen hit a 2008 Chevrolet SUV that was driving east on I-26, Pye said.
The Volkswagen driver was taken to an area hospital and later died, according to Pye.
Both the driver and a passenger in the Chevy also were taken to a hospital, and the front-seat passenger died as well, Pye said.
The Charleston County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the victims who died.
Further information on the Chevy driver’s condition was not available.
There was no word if anyone involved in the wreck was wearing a seatbelt.
Information about why the Volkswagen was driving the wrong direction on I-26 toward oncoming traffic was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through Sunday, 49 had died on South Carolina roads in 2026, according to the state Department of Public Safety. A minimum of 914 people were killed in collisions in South Carolina in 2025, DPS data shows.
At least five people have died in Charleston County crashes this year, where 64 people died in 2025 wrecks, according to DPS data.
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