One killed, one hospitalized in head-on crash on Richland County road, SC cops say
One person was killed and another was injured in an early morning, head-on crash on a Richland County road, South Carolina Highway Patrol said Sunday.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 4 a.m. on U.S. 601, near the intersection with Two Rivers Road, according to Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell. That’s in the Wateree area of Eastover.
A 2005 Ford Expedition was heading north on U.S. 601 when it crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, where it smashed into a 1998 Ford sedan traveling in the opposite direction, Tidwell said.
The driver of the car was wearing a seat belt and died at the scene, according to Tidwell.
The SUV driver was not wearing a seat belt and was taken to a Prisma Health hospital in Richland County, Tidwell said. Further information on the SUV driver’s condition was not available.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the crash victim after notifying the next of kin.
No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.
Information on what caused the SUV to veer into oncoming traffic was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol. There was no word on possible criminal charges.
Through Friday afternoon, 501 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows. Of those, 343 had access to seat belts, but 172 were not wearing them, DPS reported.
At least 22 people have been killed in Richland County crashes in 2021, and seat belts were not used in 12 of the deaths, according to DPS.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
