A driver died Wednesday afternoon after their car ran off Old Barnwell Road near Deer Run Road in Aiken County, struck a tree and caught fire. The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. and involved only one vehicle, leaving the driver as the sole victim of a wreck that investigators are still working to fully explain.
According to the wrdw.com, a 2011 Hyundai Sonata was traveling south on Old Barnwell Road when it left the right side of the road and hit a tree. The driver, who was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:18 p.m. WACH.com reported that the car caught fire after striking the tree, as reflected in its headline on the crash.
Thermal Injuries Delay Identification
Because of the severity of the fire, authorities were not able to immediately identify who was behind the wheel. The driver was not immediately identified due to thermal injuries, per the station's report, leaving a painful gap for anyone searching for a missing loved one in the area.
To establish both a cause of death and a positive identification, the driver will be autopsied in Newberry, the same account states. The Aiken County Coroner's Office investigated the single-vehicle fatality alongside the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which is handling the broader crash investigation.
Not the First Fiery Wreck on Aiken County Roads
Not the First Fiery Wreck on Aiken County Roads Wednesday's crash echoes another deadly single-vehicle wreck in Aiken County on June 11, 2023. A 2014 Kia Optima traveling east on Interstate 20 ran off the left side of the road and struck a tree in the median near the 35-mile marker, about eight miles west of Wagener, according to postandcourier.com. That car also burst into flames on impact, and its driver, the vehicle's only occupant, died at the scene after sustaining thermal injuries. The Aiken County Coroner's Office and South Carolina Highway Patrol investigated that crash as well.
No further details about Wednesday's crash, including the driver's identity or an official cause of death, have been released. The investigation into what caused the Hyundai Sonata to leave the roadway remains ongoing.
