Driver killed in crash when car hits ditch and ends up in pond, SC cops say

A driver was killed when a car ran off multiple Midlands roads and crashed into a pond during the Monday morning commute, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 8:10 a.m. on both St. Phillips Church and Piester roads in Newberry County, according to Master Trooper Gary Miller. That’s between Interstate 26 and U.S. 176, just west of Newberry.

A 2015 Dodge four-door sedan was heading east on St. Phillips Church Road when the car ran off the right side of the road and hit a ditch, Miller said. After the initial collision, the car continued across Piester Road before it ran into a pond, according to Miller.

The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was entrapped, Miller said. The driver was taken to Newberry County Memorial Hospital and died, according to Miller.

The Newberry County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the driver after notifying the next of kin.

Miller said there were no other passengers in the car and no other injuries were reported.

There was no word on what caused the car to originally run off the road, but the collision is being investigated by Highway Patrol.

Through Monday morning, 799 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2021, state Department of Public Safety data shows. Of those, 539 of the victims had access to seat belts, but 266 were not wearing them, DPS reported.

At least 10 people have been killed in Newberry County crashes in 2021, and seven of them were not wearing seat belts, DPS reported.

This was the second crash where a person died after a car ended up in a South Carolina pond in as many days.

A passenger in a Ford Ranger was killed after the pickup truck being driven on private property ran into a pond and flipped over before submerging in Colleton County, according to Highway Patrol. The driver was was charged with driving under the influence with death.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.