A wrong-way driver going north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 385 in Laurens County slammed head-on into a van Monday night, killing the wrong-way driver and injuring the other motorist. The crash happened around 7:25 p.m. near mile marker 7, close to the highway's central rest area, and forced authorities to shut down all southbound lanes for several hours.
According to WYFF, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said a 2006 Honda Accord was traveling north in the southbound lanes when it struck a 2026 Ford Transit van head-on. The Honda's driver died at the scene, while the Transit's driver was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital with injuries, the outlet reported.
The Laurens County Coroner's Office confirmed that one person died in the crash, though the victim's identity and the events leading up to the collision had not been released as of the report. Southbound lanes of I-385 were closed for several hours before reopening just before 10 p.m., per the same account.
A Stretch Of Highway With A Troubled Recent History
Monday's wreck happened near a section of I-385 in Laurens County. The Clinton-to-Fountain Inn route is identified by AARoads. In December 2025, another fatal wrong-way collision on I-385 struck a University of South Carolina student head-on, killing both drivers involved, according to The Daily Gamecock.
The danger along this corridor goes back further. In November 2020, a wrong-way crash on I-385 in Laurens County killed all five people involved when a vehicle traveling north in the southbound lanes collided head-on with another car around 2:15 a.m., WSOC-TV reported at the time. The stretch of I-385 running through Laurens County was designated the Veterans Memorial Highway by the South Carolina General Assembly in 2003.
Open Questions In The Investigation
It remains unclear how or where the Honda Accord's driver entered the southbound lanes going the wrong direction. Investigators have also not said whether SCDOT or Highway Patrol have specifically evaluated wrong-way signage or ramp countermeasures along this segment of I-385.
Traffic enforcement along this stretch falls to South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 2, Post A, which oversees crash investigations across Laurens and Newberry counties. If impairment is later found to be a factor in a fatal crash, South Carolina law under Code § 56-5-2945 mandates a prison sentence of 1 to 25 years and fines between $10,100 and $25,100 for felony DUI resulting in death. Separately, driving against traffic on a divided highway can be charged as reckless driving under § 56-5-2920, which carries fines and up to 30 days in jail for a first offense.
A Statewide Pattern Behind The Wheel
Wrong-way and wrong-side driving remain road-safety concerns in South Carolina. South Carolina's roads have seen fatal crashes.
The state's crash toll remains a road-safety concern. Monday's crash adds another entry to a stretch of I-385 that has now seen fatal wrong-way collisions in 2020 and 2026.
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