Troopers seeking purple truck in fatal I-77 hit-and-run in Chester County

Authorities say they are looking for a tractor-trailer that might have been involved in a hit-and-run on Interstate 77 early Monday that killed a North Carolina woman and left a man injured.

Flora Ellenburg, 49, of Salisbury, N.C., died at the scene of blunt force trauma to the head due to ejection, according to Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker. Ellenburg was not wearing a seat belt.

The crash happened at about 3:45 a.m. Monday at mile marker 59 on I-77, Lance Cpl. Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol said. A 2000 Ford Explorer and a tractor-trailer were traveling north when the truck apparently struck the SUV in the rear.

The driver of the Explorer, a 36-year-old Orangeburg man, lost control of the vehicle, Miller said, sending it into the median where it overturned.

Ellenburg was a passenger in the Explorer, Miller said. The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for treatment of injuries.

By 1 p.m. Monday – more than nine hours after the crash – all lanes of I-77 had reopened to traffic after troopers completed their investigation.

The vehicle that struck the Explorer, which is believed to be a tractor-trailer, continued north without stopping, Miller said. Troopers say they’re looking for a purple commercial truck with damage to the right front corner and possibly the wheel well.

Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to call the Highway Patrol at 843-661-4705 or 800-768-1505.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 6:52 AM with the headline "Troopers seeking purple truck in fatal I-77 hit-and-run in Chester County."