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Motorcycle rider killed in crash with pickup truck on Midlands road, SC cops say

A motorcycle rider was killed in an overnight crash with a pickup truck on a Midlands road, South Carolina Highway Patrol said Wednesday.

It was the third motorcycle rider to die since Saturday after a Columbia-area crash.

The two-vehicle collision happened at about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 178 in Orangeburg County, according to Master Trooper David Jones.

A 2003 Chevrolet truck was heading west on U.S. 178, and when it made a left turn onto Lake Edisto Road it crashed into an eastbound 2005 Yamaha motorcycle, Jones said.

The motorcycle rider, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to an area hospital and died, according to Jones.

The Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the motorcycle rider after notifying the next of kin.

The truck driver was wearing a seat belt and was not hurt, according to Jones.

No other injuries were reported.

The crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

That’s also the case for two other recent motorcycle wrecks.

On Saturday night, the person riding a 2012 Kawasaki motorcycle died after crashing into a 2017 Toyota sedan near the intersection of U.S. 21/North Main Street and McLeod Road in Columbia.

On Sunday, a Midlands woman died a week after the 2015 Harley-Davidson motorcycle she was a passenger on collided with a tractor in Newberry County.

Through Wednesday morning, 80 motorcycle riders were among the 598 people who had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows. In 47 of those deaths, no helmet was used.

At least 27 people have been killed in Orangeburg County crashes in 2021, and this was the first involving a motorcycle, according to DPS.

There was another deadly wreck in Orangeburg County on Sunday night, when two people were killed when a car crashed into a tree near the Calhoun County line.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.