A driver was killed and a passenger was hospitalized early Monday after their SUV overcorrected, flipped, and slammed into a utility trailer on Pelzer Highway in Pickens County. The crash happened at 1:52 a.m. near Tinsley Drive, close to Easley High School, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol officials.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while the passenger was transported to a local hospital, according to Cedar News. Troopers told WYFF 4 that the two were riding in a 1998 Ford Explorer traveling west on Pelzer Highway when the vehicle went off the right side of the road. The driver then overcorrected, causing the SUV to flip before it struck the trailer. The passenger was taken by EMS to the hospital, and that person's condition remains unknown. Authorities have not released the driver's name, and South Carolina Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash.
Why Older SUVs Are Prone to Rolling Over
The vehicle's age and design may have played a role in how the crash unfolded. Federal safety investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration note that late-1990s SUV models, including 1998 Ford Explorers, have higher centers of gravity than standard passenger sedans, making them more susceptible to losing control and rolling over during abrupt steering input or overcorrection. The agency's research also shows that single-vehicle crashes account for roughly 60% of fatal crashes nationwide.
The stakes of that dynamic are stark. Rollover crashes made up just 3% of all passenger vehicle accidents nationwide in 2023, yet they accounted for 28% of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities, according to NHTSA data reported by Roden Law.
Pelzer Highway's Role as a Pickens County Traffic Corridor
Pelzer Highway's Role as a Pickens County Traffic Corridor Pelzer Highway, also known as South Carolina Highway 8, connects Interstate 85 in Anderson County northward through Easley to U.S. Route 123 and SC 135 near Easley High School, per AARoads. Countywide, 88% of fatal crashes between 2015 and 2024 occurred on interstates, U.S. routes, or state highways, while city streets and county roads accounted for only 12%, according to the Pickens County Car Accidents Database.
The county's broader crash numbers have also been trending upward. Pickens County recorded 21 traffic deaths across 20 fatal collisions in 2024, up from 18 deaths in 2023, ranking 19th among South Carolina's 46 counties with 203 total traffic fatalities between 2015 and 2024, per the same database.
South Carolina's Troubling Highway Safety Record
South Carolina's Troubling Highway Safety Record This crash also lands within a statewide pattern of elevated roadway risk. South Carolina ranked third worst in the nation for highway fatality rates in 2024.
The driver's identity has not been released. South Carolina Highway Patrol has not indicated whether speed or impairment contributed to Monday's crash as its investigation continues.
