South Carolina man killed when pickup truck runs off road and hits tree, coroner says

A South Carolina man was killed early Sunday morning when the pickup truck he was driving crashed into a tree, according to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office.

Bryan D. Morehead, a 43-year-old Westminster resident, suffered blunt force trauma and died in the accident, Coroner Karl Addis said.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 2 a.m., according to Master Trooper Brandon Bolt of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Morehead was driving a 1990 Chevrolet north on Mt. Pleasant Road when the pickup crossed the center line and ran off the left side of the road, where it hit a tree, Bolt said.

Morehead was not wearing a seat belt, according to Addis.

Bolt said Morehead was the only person in the Chevy, and no other injuries were reported.

Information about what caused the Chevy to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Wednesday, 646 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least five people have died in Oconee County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 16 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.