Driver killed in Lexington County crash is identified by SC coroner
One person was killed Tuesday when an SUV ran off a Lexington County road and crashed, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Melvin Lin Chavis, a 79-year-old Gilbert resident, died in the crash, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Thursday.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 1:50 p.m. by Shore Road, said Master Trooper William Bennett of the Highway Patrol. That’s in the Gilbert area of Lexington County, near Lake Murray.
Chavis was driving a 2023 Nissan SUV north on Shore Road when it ran off the left side of the road and hit a ditch, then a utility box before crashing into a tree, according to Bennett.
Chavis, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to an area hospital where he died, Fisher said.
Bennett said Chavis was the only person in the SUV, and no other injuries were reported.
Information about why the Nissan veered off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.
Through Monday, 893 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 41 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. There were 43 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 7:49 AM with the headline "Driver killed in Lexington County crash is identified by SC coroner."
