Two people were killed and two others were hurt Thursday morning in a crash that blocked part of Interstate 26 for about 7 hours, South Carolina officials said.
The three-vehicle collision happened at about 2:45 a.m. in Lexington County, said Master Trooper William Bennett of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
A 1999 International tractor trailer, a 2014 Nissan sedan and a Dodge Ram pickup truck all were driving west on I-26, according to Bennett.
At the 90 mile marker, near the Chapin area, the tractor trailer and car slowed for traffic ahead and the pickup hit the rear of the car, Bennett said. The car was then pushed into the back of the tractor trailer, according to Bennett.
A driver and passenger in the Nissan died at the scene, Bennett said. The Lexington County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the people who were in the Nissan.
There also were two people in the pickup, and both were taken to Prisma Health Richland hospital, according to Bennett. Further information on their conditions was not available.
Bennett said the driver was the only person in the tractor trailer, and was not hurt. No other injuries were reported.
There was no word if any of the people involved in the crash were wearing seat belts, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Following the crash, all of the westbound lanes of I-26 were closed, and they weren’t reopened until several hours later when the scene was cleared at about 10 a.m., according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Through Sunday, 563 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 34 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 45 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS reported.
This was the fourth fatal collision in Lexington County since Aug. 20, and six people have died in the unrelated wrecks.
