66-year-old scooter driver rear ended, killed | Hilton Head Island Packet

BEAUFORT -- Beaufort Police are investigating a Tuesday morning crash on Robert Smalls Parkway that killed a 66-year-old man.

The man, whose name was not released pending the notification of his family, was traveling west about 8:30 a.m. on a scooter near the SCE&G office when he was rear-ended by a Jeep Grand Cherokee, said Maj. Matt Clancy, police department spokesman.

Though the details of the crash still are being investigated, Clancy said it appears that the scooter was stopped due to construction in the area when the Jeep collided with it.

The Burton Fire District and Beaufort County EMS also responded.

"The victim was suffering from severe trauma and cardiac arrest when we arrived," said Deputy Chief Tom Webb of the Burton Fire District. "It was pretty grave."

The man was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said Beaufort County Deputy Coroner Ed Allen.

The 26-year-old female driver of the Jeep was not injured in the crash, police said.

Clancy said decisions about charges that might be brought against the Jeep's driver would not be made until the investigation was complete.

Traffic on Robert Smalls Parkway was restricted for almost two hours as emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene.