FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Teenager Dies in Fiery I-95 Crash After Vehicle Strikes Tree

WALTERBORO, S.C. – An 18-year-old from Florida was killed in a devastating single-vehicle crash early Wednesday morning on Interstate 95 in Colleton County. The vehicle, a Honda, veered off the highway, struck a tree, and was quickly engulfed in flames, according to officials.

The incident occurred around 2:45 a.m. near Walterboro. Colleton County Fire-Rescue reported that a couple traveling on I-95 witnessed the speeding Honda leave the roadway. They immediately called 911 and bravely attempted to extricate the driver from the wreckage.

A responding sheriff’s deputy joined the rescue effort, but the intense fire forced them back. Fire-rescue crews arrived on the scene to find the vehicle heavily damaged and ablaze.

“The car suffered massive damage with the tree entering the car as far as the rear seats, trapping the driver inside,” Colleton County Fire-Rescue said in a statement.

Firefighters worked for 30 minutes to extinguish the fire and free the driver from the mangled vehicle. Despite their efforts, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

The identity of the victim has not yet been officially released pending notification of next of kin.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. Further details will be released as they become available.