RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — One person has died after fleeing law enforcement and striking a tree on Friday afternoon, according to authorities.
Troopers with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the collision happened on Colonial Drive, about two miles north of Columbia, around 2:35 p.m. on Friday.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department said deputies were attempting to pull over a vehicle for a traffic violation. When deputies turned on blue lights and sirens, the vehicle reportedly sped off to evade deputies.
Troopers said the driver of a 2009 Ford Fusion was traveling east on Colonial Drive when the car ran off the side of the road near the intersection with Hurst Drive and struck a tree.
The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was taken to Prisma Health Richland and died, according to troopers.
The collision remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.