Midlands man killed when truck crashes into tree, SC coroner says

A Midlands man was killed when the pickup truck he was driving crashed into a tree, the Kershaw County Coroner’s Office said.

Paul E. Baggett, a 59-year-old Bethune resident, died in the single-vehicle accident, Coroner David West said.

The collision happened at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Master Trooper David Jones of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Baggett was driving a 2001 Dodge pickup south on Mill Creek Road when it ran off the right side of the road near the intersection with Bakers Mill Pond Road, Jones said.

The pickup crashed into a tree and Baggett was entrapped in the truck and died at the scene, according to Jones.

Baggett was not wearing a seat belt, West said.

No other injuries were reported.

Information about why the pickup veered off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Sunday, 628 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2022, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

At least 10 people have been killed in Kershaw County crashes in 2022, according to DPS. There were 24 deaths there last year, DPS data shows.