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Driver killed, passenger hurt after car hits tree by Midlands road, SC cops say

One person was killed and another was injured after a car crashed into a tree by a Midlands road, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 5 a.m. Saturday in Sumter County, according to Sgt. Sonny Collins.

A 2019 Dodge Challenger was heading east on U.S. 378, in the Wateree Swamp area, when it ran off the side of the road and hit a tree, Collins said.

The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, and a passenger was taken to an area hospital, according to Collins.

Further information on the passenger’s condition was not made available. There was no word if the passenger was wearing a seat belt.

The Sumter County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the driver after notifying the next of kin.

No other injuries were reported by Highway Patrol.

Information on what caused the Dodge to veer off the road was not available, but the collision continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Friday afternoon, 357 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

At least 14 people have been killed in Sumter County crashes in 2021, DPS reported.