South Carolina man killed in crash on major highway in the Midlands, coroner says
A South Carolina man was killed Friday in an early morning collision on a major highway running through the Midlands, officials said.
Felix Jose Zayas Hernandez, a 45-year-old Fort Mill resident, died in the accident, Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill said.
The collision happened at about 12:45 a.m. near the 47 mile marker on the southbound side of Interstate 77, according to Master Trooper Brandon Bolt of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Hernandez was walking north in the road on the southbound side of I-77, when he was hit by a 2023 Ford SUV that was driving south, Bolt said.
The SUV driver stayed at the scene and fully cooperated with officials, according to Hill.
Bolt said neither the driver nor a passenger in the SUV were hurt, and no other injuries were reported.
There was no word if the occupants of the SUV were wearing seat belts.
Information about why Hernandez was walking on I-77, or where he was going, was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.
An autopsy will be scheduled with Newberry Pathology to determine the exact cause of death, according to Hill.
Through Wednesday, 231 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 999 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least six people have died in Fairfield County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 15 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS reported.
