South Carolina man killed in crash when hit from behind by car, coroner says

A South Carolina man was killed Tuesday when the moped he was riding was hit by a car, the Oconee County Coroner’s Office said.

Richard Bryan White, a 47-year-old Westminster resident, died in the accident, Coroner Karl Addis said.

The two-vehicle collision happened at about 6 p.m. on U.S. 123, according to Lance Cpl. Brittany Glover of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

White was driving south on a 2018 moped, and was hit from behind by a 2015 Kia sedan near the intersection Burton Road, officials said.

White suffered a blunt force head injury and died at the scene, according to Addis.

Glover said the driver was the only person in the car, and was not hurt. No other injuries were reported.

There was no word if White was wearing a helmet, or if the car driver was wearing a seat belt.

Information about what caused the collision was not available, but it continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Monday, 985 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2023 and 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. In 2022, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 12 people died in Oconee County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. There were 16 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported.