SUV driver killed in overnight crash identified by coroner’s office
One person is dead following an overnight crash, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 4 a.m. Sunday on Florida Avenue in Greenwood County, near the intersection with S.C. 225, said Cpl. Matt Southern of the Highway Patrol. That’s less than a mile from the junction with U.S. 221 and near the Greenwood Fairgrounds.
A 2000 Jeep SUV was heading west on Florida Avenue when it ran off the right side of the road, smashed into an embankment and flipped over, according to Southern.
The driver and only person inside the SUV died at the scene, Southern said. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the Jeep, according to Southern.
Nicholas Neil Lavecchia was identified as the driver by the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office.
Blunt force trauma was the 28-year-old Greenwood resident’s cause of death, according to Coroner Sonny Cox, who called the crash an accident.
No other injuries were reported by the Highway Patrol.
Information on what caused the Jeep to veer off the road was not available, but the crash remains under investigation by Highway Patrol.
This is at least the third fatal collision in 2021, and the first in Greenwood County, following deadly wrecks in Horry and Colleton counties on Jan. 1, according to the Highway Patrol. As of this date a year ago, three people had died in as many crashes, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Overall in 2020, 1,010 people died on South Carolina roads, DPS reported. Of those, 695 had access to seat belts, but 347 were not wearing them, according to DPS.
There were 20 people killed in Greenwood County crashes in 2020, and seat belts were not used in 12 of the deaths, DPS data shows.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published January 3, 2021 at 10:11 AM with the headline "SUV driver killed in overnight crash identified by coroner’s office."
