A driver died late Saturday night after a 2025 Ford Bronco ran off Interstate 77 North near mile marker 73 in York County and struck a stand of trees, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Troopers responded to the crash on I-77 near the S.C. Highway 901 exit in southern York County, where the driver, who was the vehicle's only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials had not identified the driver as of the report.
According to Queen City News, the Bronco was heading north on I-77 when it left the roadway, first veering to the right before crossing back to the left, then overturning after it hit the trees. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and has not released additional details about what caused the SUV to leave the road.
A Familiar and Dangerous Stretch of Highway
This is not the first deadly crash at this exact spot. Just four weeks earlier, on July 23, another fatal collision occurred at the same mile marker 73, where a driver struck a wall and was then killed by an oncoming tractor-trailer, as reported by WCNC. Hoodline covered that crash in a previous report on a fatal I-77 breakdown. Mile marker 73 sits near the S.C. Highway 901 exit, a key arterial connection between Rock Hill and rural Chester County that carries heavy daily commuter and freight traffic between Columbia and Charlotte.
South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 4, Post B, based in Rock Hill, holds primary jurisdiction over fatal collision investigations in York County and oversees traffic operations across seven Upstate counties. The unit's involvement in this case follows a pattern of intensive scrutiny on this corridor, after the Highway Patrol and the York County Sheriff's Office launched a joint enforcement campaign in September 2025 targeting speeding, seatbelt compliance, and DUI violations on high-crash corridors, following an increase of seven traffic deaths in York County compared to the prior year.
York County's Long Road Safety Struggle
The crash adds to a troubling local tally. South Carolina Department of Public Safety data recorded 31,724 total motor vehicle collisions in York County between October 2020 and September 2025, resulting in 174 fatalities and 691 serious injuries, according to data cited by the Stewart Law Offices. York County consistently ranks among the top counties in South Carolina for total traffic collisions.
That local picture stands in contrast to the statewide trend. Preliminary Department of Public Safety data shows 554 traffic fatalities statewide in 2026 as of August 21, down from 608 recorded during the same period in 2025 — a roughly 9 percent year-over-year decrease. Statewide deaths dropped to 880 in 2025, a decrease of 152 fatalities from 2024 and the lowest annual total in four years, per a report from WRHI, following a peak near 1,100 deaths in 2022.
Enforcement and Infrastructure Efforts Continue
Full enforcement with citations under South Carolina's Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Law began statewide on February 28, following a 180-day educational warning period, making it illegal to hold or support a wireless device while driving. Separately, York County secured $62 million from the South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank in April toward a $106 million project to reconfigure the congested I-77 Exit 82 interchange in Rock Hill, a bottleneck Hoodline detailed in its report on the $62 million I-77 interchange fix.
It remains unknown whether speed, mechanical failure, driver impairment, or another factor caused the Bronco to leave the roadway before striking the trees. The Highway Patrol's investigation into Saturday night's crash is ongoing, and no additional details have been released about the driver or the cause.
