Trucker killed after hitting car, tree in crash that blocked interstate, SC cops say
A truck driver was killed in a crash Tuesday that blocked an interstate running through the Midlands, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.
The two-vehicle collision happened at about 4:15 p.m. on Interstate 26, near the 80 mile marker, Cpl. Matt Southern said. That’s close to Exit 82, which is the junction with S.C. 773 and takes drivers toward Prosperity and Pomaria.
At least one eastbound lane of I-26 was closed following the wreck, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. The highway wasn’t cleared until about 7 p.m., SCDOT tweeted.
A 2018 Freightliner tow truck was heading east on I-26 when it ran off the road to the right and crashed into a 2007 Dodge that was parked in the emergency lane, Southern said.
After colliding with the Dodge, the tow truck continued running off the road toward the wood line where it hit a tree, according to Southern.
The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the tow truck during the wreck, dying on the scene, Southern said.
Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece publicly identified the driver as Zachery Fennessy. An autopsy has been scheduled for the 28-year-old Goose Creek, according to the coroner’s office.
There was no word if the Dodge was occupied during the collision, but no other injuries were reported.
Prior to this collision, 490 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2020, according to the Department of Public Safety. Of those deaths, 342 of the victims had access to seat belts, and 187 were not wearing safety restraints.
The crash remains under investigation by Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.
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This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Trucker killed after hitting car, tree in crash that blocked interstate, SC cops say."
