Driver dies after car runs off Midlands road and crashes into tree, SC cops say
One person was killed in an early-morning car crash next to a Midlands road, South Carolina Highway Patrol said Sunday.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 4:45 a.m., on Gardensgate Road, according to Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell. That’s in Orangeburg County, not far from Eutawville and Lake Marion.
A 2002 Lexus LS was heading east on Gardensgate Road, and when it was near the intersection with Cartoon Circle the car ran off the right side of the road, Tidwell said.
The driver overcorrected and the car veered over the center line and off the left side of the road where it crashed into a tree, according to Tidwell.
The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, Tidwell said.
The Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the driver after notifying the next of kin.
Nobody else was in the car and no other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.
Information on what caused the Lexus to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by Highway Patrol.
Through Friday afternoon, 501 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows.
At least 18 people have been killed in Orangeburg County crashes in 2021, according to DPS.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
