Eight people died on Palmetto state highways last weekend. Monday, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety reported a preliminary number of eight people were killed on South Carolina roadways during the weekend beginning at 6:00 p.m. Friday, July 19th until Sunday, July 21st at 11:59 p.m. These fatalities bring the total highway deaths across the state to 502.
A state chart from DPS indicates Laurens County has had 12 traffic fatalities in 2024, as of Sunday night. That’s up from 10 fatalities at the same date last year, but it’s a slight improvement from 13 fatalities as of July 21st in 2022. We also had 12 fatalities as of this date in 2021.
Checking some of our neighbors: Abbeville County has had 4 highway fatalities so far here in 2024, double from the 2 deaths at this point of last year, but the same as in 2022. With 5 fatalities so far here in 2024, Greenwood County’s traffic deaths are just half the 10 at this time in 2023 and 2022. There were 9 in 2021. Newberry County had 8 traffic deaths for the year, as of Sunday night. That’s a significant increase from 5 last year and 4 in 2022; but slightly down from 9 on this date in 2021. Saluda County had 2 fatalities for 2024, an improvement from 6 the year before. Union County had 7 2024 fatalities as of Sunday night, up from 5 last year, and from 5 the two previous years.
Comparing our traffic deaths with our more populated neighbors: Greenville County has had 46 traffic deaths so far this year, up from 43 same date last year: but lower than the 59 this date in 2022. Spartanburg County had 32 fatalities for the year, up from 46 on the same date in 2023, but down from 36 on the same date in 2021. Anderson County’s traffic deaths through Sunday reached 21, a big jump from 13 fatalities this date last year, but an improvement from 28 this time in 2022.
South Carolina D.P.S. noted that these year-to-date numbers are preliminary and are based on fatal collisions compiled by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety as of one minute before midnight Sunday night.
