July 14, 2003
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755
COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announces a preliminary number of 15 people killed on South Carolina highways from Friday, July 11, at 6 p.m. until Sunday, July 13, at midnight.
Three Columbia men died early Friday evening apparently after the driver lost control of the stolen vehicle in which they were riding. On Sunday, a vehicle hit a 10-year-old Seneca girl who was riding on a go-kart. In between those deaths, the South Carolina Highway Patrol investigated fatal collisions across the state, from Jasper County to Oconee County. The high number of weekend deaths marks the first time since the weekend of June 28-30, 2002, that a comparable number of people died on the state roads during a non-holiday weekend.
As of July 13, 2003, 460 people had died on South Carolina highways, compared to 587 last year at this time. Of the 366 motor vehicle occupants who have died in 2003, 252 were not wearing seat belts.
|
Interstates |
0 |
|
US routes, SC routes and secondary roads |
15 |
|
Seat belt used |
3 |
|
Seat belt not used |
9 |
|
Seat belt usage not applicable |
3 (1 Pedestrian, 1 Motorcyclist, 1 Bicyclist) |
|
Seat belt usage unknown |
0 |
-- 30 --
SG/63/2003