Dead person found after crash, but who didn’t die from wreck, ID’d by SC coroner
Part of Interstate 20 running through South Carolina was closed during the Monday morning commute as law enforcement officers investigated a homicide, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
James W. Smith III, a 32-year-old Bishopville resident, was identified as the man who died as a result of a homicide and crash, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said Wednesday.
The eastbound section of I-20, between Alpine Road and Clemson Road, was closed Monday, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. That’s in the northeast part of Columbia.
Shortly after 2 a.m. Monday, the sheriff’s department said it was notified about a single-vehicle collision by the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Troopers requested help from the sheriff’s department after discovering evidence that the victim inside the vehicle might have been shot, according to the release.
Responding deputies confirmed there was one dead victim at the scene and notified investigators and crime scene specialists, the sheriff’s department said. That’s when the interstate was temporarily shut down, according to the release.
It was just before 5 a.m. that the sheriff’s department said that the stretch of I-20 was blocked. This caused a traffic jam and delays for drivers. It was after 6:30 a.m., when the sheriff’s department announced that all lanes on I-20 had reopened.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation reported a vehicle fire in that area very early Monday morning, but it was not clear if that was the same incident that the sheriff’s department called a homicide.
Information about the shooter, or shooters, and how many people were involved, was not available. There was no word on a motive for the gunfire.
Investigators are working to determine exactly where the shooting occurred, the sheriff’s department said.
No arrests have been reported, but the shooting investigation is ongoing.
Although details are limited, the sheriff’s department did say the shooting was an isolated incident, and it didn’t believe there was a threat to public safety “at this time.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-576-3000, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
In the case of an emergency, always call 911.
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This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 8:22 AM with the headline "Dead person found after crash, but who didn’t die from wreck, ID’d by SC coroner."
