South Carolina man dies after the bicycle he was riding was hit by SUV, coroner says
A Midlands man recently died after the bicycle he was riding was hit by an SUV in Lexington County earlier this month, South Carolina officials said.
On Sunday, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said 59-year-old Gaston resident Diego Federico Suarez-Pelaez died May 17, a week after the crash that her office determined was an accident.
The crash happened in the 700 block of Woodtrail Drive, Fisher said. That’s near the intersection with Boy Scout Road in the Gaston area of Lexington County.
At about 2:20 p.m. on May 9, Suarez-Pelaez was riding south on Woodtrail Drive, heading toward Sandy Oak Lane, said Lance Cpl. Lena Butler of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
A 2003 Toyota 4Runner was also headed south when it hit the bicycle, according to Butler.
Suarez-Pelaez was taken to a local hospital, but eventually died from injuries he suffered in the crash, Fisher said.
Butler said the Toyota driver was not hurt, and no other injuries were reported.
There was no word if the driver will face any criminal charges, but Fisher said both her office and the Highway Patrol are continuing to investigate the crash.
Through last Wednesday, 334 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 20 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 45 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS said.
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This story was originally published May 18, 2024 at 2:54 PM with the headline "South Carolina man dies after the bicycle he was riding was hit by SUV, coroner says."
