Eric Bradley, 53, of Charlotte died Saturday after falling from the back of a moving pickup truck in Duncan, Spartanburg County, authorities said. He was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:50 p.m. A forensic examination is scheduled for Monday as the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol continue their investigation.
Troopers told WYFF that Bradley had been riding in the bed of the truck and was holding down furniture when he fell out and struck the roadway. The incident happened at the intersection of East Main Street and Commerce Court in Duncan, according to the station. Officials have not released any information about the driver or whether citations might be issued.
The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Eric Bradley, 53, of Charlotte, and said he was pronounced dead at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center at 1:50 p.m., according to FOX Carolina. The coroner’s office said a forensic exam is set for Monday and that it is working with the Highway Patrol on the case. Family notifications and additional details have not been released.
South Carolina law on riding in truck beds
South Carolina law bars transporting anyone under 15 years old in an open pickup bed, unless specific exceptions apply, and makes violations a misdemeanor under state code. See South Carolina Code section 56-5-3900 for the statute’s full text and listed exceptions. The law does not impose a blanket ban on adults riding in cargo beds, but troopers and safety experts repeatedly stress that the practice is unsafe.
Safety groups note that riding unrestrained in a truck bed greatly raises the risk of being ejected and suffering fatal injuries. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that seat belts help prevent ejection and substantially reduce fatalities. That data helps explain why investigators are treating any fall from an open truck bed as a serious incident as they work to piece together what happened in Duncan.
