Pedestrian killed attempting night crossing of I-20 in Richland County

An SUV struck and killed a pedestrian trying to cross a stretch of interstate highway on Sunday evening in Richland County.

Three people were in the 2016 Nissan Rogue SUV going west toward Georgia when it struck a lone pedestrian attempting to cross Interstate 20 near U.S 378 at mile marker 71, about one mile north of Columbia, said S.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Brandon Bolt.

The collision happened around 6 p.m., just after night had fallen.

None of the Rogue’s occupants, including a 4-year-old child, were injured, Bolt said.

The Richland County coroner’s office, headed by Naida Rutherford, had not responded to requests for information about the death as of Monday afternoon.

No further information was available, including how fast the vehicle was traveling at impact or whether its driver was cited for any infraction.

For Richland County, it was apparently one of the first, if not the first, traffic fatalities of the new year.

As of Friday, a total of 1,015 people had died on South Carolina roads during 2022, according to preliminary data released by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. There were 1,152 traffic deaths statewide in 2021.

In 2022, Richland County had 63 traffic deaths, the third-highest number in the state. Greenville County was first, with 95 fatalities, followed by Horry with 70.