Suspected wrong way double fatality collision closes I-26 early Sunday morning

Dixiana, SC 07/25/2021 (Paul Kirby) – I-26 was blocked across all lanes travelling east and west after a reported wrong way collision killed at least two motorist early Sunday morning. The first reports of the collision began coming in around 5:30 a.m. sending EMS, firefighters, and multiple law enforcement officers rushing toward the scene at about the 118 mm in the east bound lanes. This is in the vicinity of the Old Wire Road overpass.

Shortly after 5:15 a.m., Lexington County’s Emergency Communications Center began receiving calls of a vehicle travelling west in the east bound lanes of I-26 in this vicinity. They communicated that to appropriate law enforcement agencies in hopes that someone could get the vehicle stopped and turned around before a tragedy occurred. Unfortunately, not long after those calls were transferred to the SCHP, they started receiving calls of a head on collision in the same area. The second set of callers reported that a collision had occurred, and a vehicle was on fire. At least one caller also said that one vehicle involved had, “blown up.”

The first due battalion chief from the Lexington County Fire Service arrived and confirmed that one vehicle involved was fully engulfed in flames. He also reported that someone had been pulled from the wreckage of a vehicle prior to his arrival and that individual was in cardiac arrest. Shortly after that report, he radioed that he had a fatality on scene and all the east bound lanes were closed. After EMS units and supervisors began to arrive, the same chief reported he then had two fatalities on scene as a result of the collision.

Once troopers began to arrive and take control of the scene, the decision was made to close the west lanes of I-26 as well. Law enforcement began to detour what travelers they could around the scene. Some that had already passed the last exits had to simply wait until troopers could get it all sorted out.

Personnel from the Lexington County Coroner’s Office were on the scene a short time later and collision investigators were enroute. At 7:20 a.m., the SCDPS website showed all lanes of traffic were stilled blocked. It may be some time before a report regarding the exact cause of the tragedy is released.

Later Sunday, Lance Corporal Nick Pye of the South Carolina Highway Patrol did release a few more details rega5ding the collision. Pye said that a Hyundai was travelling east toward Charleston on I-26 when that vehicle was struck by a Jeep SUV travelling west in the east bound lanes of the interstate. Both the driver of the Hyundai and the driver of the Jeep were killed as a result of the collision.