Coroner identifies 2 men killed in Bluffton Parkway and Buck Island Road collision Monday
Two of five people involved in a crash at the intersection of Bluffton Parkway and Buck Island Road early Monday morning died, identified as 39-year-old Carlos Melendez-Contreras and 24-year-old Osman Zuniga-Melendez by Rachel Michalski at the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.
At 5:45 a.m. Monday a pickup truck and minivan collided. One front-seat and one back-seat passenger in the minivan died, according to Trooper Nick Pye of the S.C. Highway Patrol who also said neither the van’s driver nor the pickup truck’s driver were injured.
Both Melendez-Contreras and Zuniga-Melendez were from Honduras, but living in Beaufort County, according to Michalski. She was unable to release the cause of death or say if they will perform an autopsy.
The press release didn’t mention a cause of the accident, and Pye said they’re investigating and currently don’t have any more information to share.
At around 7:00 a.m. the road was reopened to traffic after firefighters and law enforcement finished working at the scene.
Story was updated at 2.40 p.m. with the names of the deceased.
This story was originally published July 10, 2023 at 4:43 PM.
