A 25-year-old man died and the 29-year-old male driver was injured and trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle after the northbound SUV left the roadway, struck a guardrail and overturned in the 6000 block of Green Pond Highway (S.C. Hwy. 303) on Thursday morning November 5 just after midnight.
The Chevrolet Tahoe received heavy damage in the collision. The driver was unconscious following the impact. He suffered a head injury and other multiple traumatic injuries.
Firefighter-paramedics used various tools to remove the windshield and other items to free the man from the vehicle. After freeing the driver, crews discovered a second victim inside the overturned vehicle.
The 25-year-old male passenger was also trapped in the wreckage and had no signs of life. A second Fire-Rescue ambulance and the Colleton County Coroner’s Office were requested. Jonathan Zeigler, 25, of Walterboro died of head injuries, according to Coroner Richard Harvey.
The driver was transported by ambulance to the helipad at Colleton Medical Center to meet with the C.A.R.E. Flight helicopter, then flown to the Trauma Center at Trident Hospital.
Once the coroner completed his investigation, firefighter-paramedics used rescue tools and saws to free the passenger from the SUV. He was transported by the Colleton County Coroner’s Office.
The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
