FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2002
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announces a preliminary number of 19 people killed on South Carolina highways from Friday, July 3, at 6 p.m. until Sunday, July 7, at midnight, a 102-hour period.

A number of the accidents were alcohol-related. Two men driving mopeds were struck and killed in unrelated collisions. Four motorcyclists died after one struck another vehicle, one struck a tree, one hit a post and another hit a utility pole. Seven people died after their vehicles struck, an embankment, tree or utility pole. One person died in a head-on collision. One person died in a two-vehicle collision. One person died when her vehicle overturned. Two people were killed because a driver failed to yield right-of-way. One vehicle crossed the center line and was struck by an oncoming vehicle.

Since 1995, 114 people have died on South Carolina highways during the July 4 holiday periods. The largest number of deaths in recent years was in 2000 when 26 people died, which was also over a 102-hour period. In 2001, four people died over a 24-hour holiday period.

As of July 7, 526 people had died on South Carolina highways, compared to 526 last year at this time.

SI/91/02

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