LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — A Georgia man is dead and three people are injured following a major collision on Interstate 20 Wednesday.
Andre Tyrone Eason, 30, of Augusta, Georgia, was struck after his his enclosed trailer came loose from the vehicle in the roadway, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.
The Highway Patrol says the crash took place on I-20 Interstate East one mile west of Exit 61, which is the Highway 378/West Columbia exit. That's also not far from the Augusta Road exit.
According to troopers, a Dodge Ram pickup was disabled in one lane of I-20 after the trailer it was towing came loose, and two people were attempting to put the trailer back on. A Jeep came up on the stalled vehicle and attempted to change lanes to avoid it; however, another pickup that was behind the Jeep rear-ended the Jeep, causing the Jeep to hit the trailer in the roadway.
The trailer then hit the two people who were standing beside the disabled Dodge Ramp pickup. One of those people died, while the other was taken to the hospital.
The drivers of the other two vehicles involved were also taken to the hospital.
As a result of the collision and the investigation, traffic was affected for hours. At first, all lanes were blocked but before noon, two lanes reopened. Still, traffic moved slowly for over two more hours due to the high volume of traffic. Crews were finally able to get all lanes open in the mid-afternoon.
This is a breaking news story. News19 will have more details when they become available.