CHESTER -- A Greenville man died Tuesday in a head-on collision on S.C. 9 about 14 miles west of Chester.
The victim was identified as George M. Plyler, 65, said Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker.
The driver of a second vehicle, Frederick R. Bagwell, 60, of Piedmont was flown to a Charlotte hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, a Carolinas Medical Center spokeswoman said.
A preliminary toxicology test found no alcohol or drugs in Plyler's body, Tinker said.
Around 2:30 p.m., Plyler was driving on S.C. 9 in a 2001 Honda Accord while Bagwell was traveling in the opposite direction in a 2008 Chevrolet Impala, according to Cpl. Bryan McDougald of the S.C. Highway Patrol. The cars collided, he said.
Authorities did not say which vehicle traveled east and west or which crossed the center line. Bagwell, who wore a seat belt, was trapped and had to be extricated, McDougald said. Plyler also wore a seat belt.
The speed limit for the area is 55 mph, McDougald said.
The period from Memorial Day to Labor Day is considered the 100 deadliest days of the year in South Carolina because of the number of highway fatalities.
As of Monday, 485 people had died on South Carolina roads this year, according to the state highway safety office. During the same time last year, 558 people died on state roads.
