Vehicle Crashes on Hwy 278 in Barnwell County, South Carolina, Following Police Pursuit

BARNWELL COUNTY, SC. – According to a news article posted online at augustachronicle.com, a vehicle crashed on South Carolina Highway 278 in Barnwell County, South Carolina, after being involved in a police pursuit. The pursuit began in Georgia, according to the report, and stretched into South Carolina.*

The incident began in the late evening in Richmond County, Georgia. The Augusta Chronicle, Georgia State Patrol, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office report that authorities began pursuing a 2014 Kia four-door of unknown model at approximately 10 p.m. at the crossing of Phinizy Road and Peach Orchard Road. The article did not say why the pursuit began — whether it started with a traffic stop or whether the vehicle might have been involved in a prior incident. 

Officials indicate that the pursuit ran from Richmond County, Georgia, into Aiken County, South Carolina, by way of Highway 278. Shortly after 10 p.m., the Kia ran off the highway and crashed by Blush Drive and Seven Pines Road. South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell said that the Kia departed the roadway on the left side and then overturned. 

It is unclear if the wreck occurred due to speeding or if other factors were involved. The top speeds of the pursuit and the speeds of the vehicles at the time of the crash were not reported. It is unclear how many people were inside the Kia at the time, but The Augusta Chronicle indicates that the driver was injured. The driver was not identified, and the nature of his or her injuries was not reported.

South Carolina Highway Patrol Troopers responded to the scene, but they did not participate in the pursuit, according to the report. At the time of The Augusta Chronicle article’s posting, no further information was available about the pursuit or the accident. 

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Sources:https://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20191211/ga-pursuit-ends-in-crash-in-barnwell