GA man dies after motorcycle crashes into tree on I-95 in Jasper County, officials say
Editor’s note: This story was updated Aug. 11, 2020, with the identity of the motorcyclist.
A 46-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into a tree on I-95 in Jasper County, according to S.C. Highway Patrol spokesperson Cpl. Sonny Collins.
The driver was identified as Ian Alois Demetruk, of Sylvannia, Ga., according to Jasper County Coroner Martin Sauls. Demetruk was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash, which involved only the Kawasaki motorcycle, occurred around 4:25 p.m. Friday near the one-mile marker on I-95 south, Collins said.
The motorcycle was traveling south when it ran into the median and struck the tree. The driver was not wearing a helmet at the time, Collins said.
The more than 30-mile stretch of I-95 in Jasper County has been referred to as the “coffin corridor,” because it was one of the deadliest highways in South Carolina due to the proximity of the trees to the roadway, a 2015 Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette investigation found.
A tree-clearing project has reduced the number of deadly tree-related crashes in more recent years, according to initial data from the S.C. Department of Public Safety.
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 10:55 AM.
