COLUMBIA, S.C. — A deputy has died following a Friday evening crash in Richland County, authorities confirm.
"It is with unimaginable sadness that Sheriff Leon Lott announces the death of Deputy Jacob Eric Salrin from a fatal vehicle collision while on duty," the sheriff's department said in a statement released Saturday morning. "Deputy Salrin’s end of watch was September 29, 2023. He was 23 years old."
Authorities said the crash happened on Bluff Road near Windy Drive around 8 p.m. on Friday. Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the crash involved a westbound 2017 Ford sedan and an eastbound 2014 Volvo tractor-trailer with no trailer. Ridgeway said the tractor-trailer attempted to make a left turn onto Windy Drive when the Ford struck it. The driver of the truck was injured and taken to an area hospital.
Salrin was later identified as the driver killed in the crash.
The sheriff's department said Salrin was hired in 2022 and graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in January 2023. He received the Clifford Moyer Marksmanship Award at the graduation.
The sheriff's department said Salrin worked in southeast Richland County as a patrol deputy. The sheriff's department said funeral information would be released at a later time.
"As the Richland County Sheriff’s Department mourns the loss of their brother, we thank the community for their support," the department said in its statement.
This is a developing story. Check back for details as they become available.