South Carolina man killed when car runs off road and crashes into tree, officials say

One person was killed Tuesday when a car ran off a road and crashed into a tree, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 4:45 p.m. in Oconee County in the state’s Upstate region, said Master Trooper Brandon Bolt.

A 31-year-old Westminster, S.C. man was driving on Ebenezer Road in the West Union area, according to Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis.

The man, who has not been publicly identified by the coroner’s office, was driving a 1995 Toyota sedan east on Ebenezer Road when it ran off the right side of the road, Bolt said. The Toyota then veered back across Ebenezer Road and off the left side where the 30-year-old car crashed into a tree, Bolt said.

The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, according to Addis.

Bolt said the driver was the only person in the Toyota, and no other injuries were reported.

Information about what originally caused the Toyota to run off the road was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through Sunday, 750 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 11 people have died in Oconee County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data.