Sumter woman killed on I-26 Tuesday night
A Sumter woman was killed on I-26 in Laurens County late Tuesday night when the vehicle she was riding in collided with a tractor-trailer.
The accident occurred at Exit 61 near Joanna, killing Margaret Brookins, 46, of Sumter. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident at 11:53 p.m., said Laurens County Deputy Coroner Vickie Cheek.
The driver of the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee in which Brookins was a passenger and a child sitting in the rear seat suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to the Greenville Memorial Health System for treatment. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
According to the S.C. Highway Patrol, the Grand Cherokee struck the tractor-trailer in the rear.
Neither the driver of the Jeep nor the passengers were wearing seatbelts, according to Lance Cpl. Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol. The accident is still under investigation by the SCHP.
According to statistics from the SCHP, this is the 21st traffic fatality in Laurens County this year, compared to 10 all of last year.
