Driver killed when SUV ran off I-77 and crashed into a tree, SC cops say
One person was killed Wednesday morning in Richland County when an SUV ran off Interstate 77 and crashed, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 7 a.m., said Master Trooper William Bennett. It was on a stretch of I-77 near Exit 19, which is the junction with Farrow Road in Columbia.
A 1999 Ford Expedition was driving south on I-77 when the SUV ran off the right side of the highway and crashed into a tree, according to Bennett.
The driver, who was the only person in the Ford SUV, died at the scene, Bennett said.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the SUV driver.
There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.
Information about what caused the SUV to veer off I-77 was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.
Through Sunday, 637 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2025, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, at least 948 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 33 people have died in Richland County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were 52 deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 7:15 AM with the headline "Driver killed when SUV ran off I-77 and crashed into a tree, SC cops say."
