Gaston man dies in motorcycle crash during Monday morning commute in West Columbia

West Columbia, SC 06/12/2023 (Paul Kirby) - A Gaston man was killed in a motorcycle collision on Augusta Road in the City of West Columbia during the Monday morning commute. This is according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher and the West Columbia Police Department. Fisher said that this crash happened about 7:00 a.m. near the intersection of Augusta Road (US Hwy 1) and the I-26 overpass in the 2600 block of the normally busy road.

West Columbia police officers, assisted by equipment from the West Columbia Fire Department, closed Augusta Road for approximately 1 hour while they investigated the single-vehicle collision. This caused a traffic snarl that cleared up not long after they reopened it at about 7:50 a.m. Monday.

According to County Coroner Margaret Fisher, the decedent has been identified as James M. Rials, 63, of Gaston. Fisher said that he was riding westbound toward Lexington on Augusta Road and attempted to turn onto the on-ramp of I-26 eastbound and lost control of his motorcycle. Rials, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Rials died at the scene due to the injuries he sustained.

The West Columbia Police Department and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate the incident.