Bluffton man dies in hospital after early-morning crash on Hilton Head, coroner says
A Bluffton man died of his injuries early Sunday morning after being ejected from his convertible when it struck a tree on Hilton Head Island, according to the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.
Endy Rodriguez, 37, was pronounced dead at 6:27 a.m. Sunday at a local hospital, Deptuty Coroner Andy McNese said. His cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma.
The fatal crash happened just before 3 a.m. Sunday as Rodriguez was the sole occupant of a 2011 BMW driving west on William Hilton Parkway. In the area of Gumtree Road, the car veered off the left side of the highway and collided with a tree, according to Lance Cpl. Brittany Glover of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Rodriguez was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, McNese said.
The speed limit is 45 mph at the site of the crash, located at the U.S. 278 junction near the entrance to Hilton Head.
An autopsy was not performed on Rodriguez because his death was well-documented during his hospitalization, according to McNese.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 1:50 PM.
