Traffic

Columbia man dead in 3-vehicle collision involving tractor-trailer

A Columbia man was killed after running a stop sign at the intersection of W.E. Jeffcoat Road and South Carolina Highway 6 in Lexington County, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.
A Columbia man was killed after running a stop sign at the intersection of W.E. Jeffcoat Road and South Carolina Highway 6 in Lexington County, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. Screen shot

A Columbia man has been identified as the victim in a fatal three-vehicle collision involving a tractor-trailer Wednesday morning in Lexington County.

Donerell M. Lykes, 36, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of W.E. Jeffcoat Road and South Carolina Highway 6 in Swansea, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said in a statement.

Lykes was driving north on W.E. Jeffcoat Road when he failed to stop at a stop sign and was struck by an eastbound tractor-trailer at W.E. Jeffcoat’s intersection with Highway 6, the coroner said.

Lykes, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from his Kia Rio and struck by another vehicle that was traveling west on Highway 6, Fisher said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, which ran off the right side of the road and overturned after striking Lykes’ vehicle, was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The third vehicle, described by the South Carolina Highway Patrol as a “dark-in-color sedan,” left the scene prior to the arrival of first responders, authorities said.

The fatal crash remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office.

Zak Koeske
The State
Zak Koeske is a projects reporter for The State. He previously covered state government and politics for the paper. Before joining The State, Zak covered education, government and policing issues in the Chicago area. He’s also written for publications in his native Pittsburgh and the New York/New Jersey area. 
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