The South Carolina Highway Patrol reports that a driver who led law enforcement officers on a chase early Monday morning died in a collision that also injured a passenger.
Michael Bailey, 39, of Norfolk, Virginia, died in what Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables described as an accident.
The Highway Patrol’s Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway reported the single-vehicle crash at around 12:50 a.m.
According to Ridgeway, Bailey was driving a 2017 Kia SUV south on Laurens Street Northwest in Aiken, attempting to elude police officials. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office didn’t know why they were searching for Bailey.
The SUV drove off the left side of the road at the intersection with Hampton Avenue Northwest, overturning and colliding with a tree, according to Ridgeway.
Ables said Bailey died at the scene around 1:20 a.m.
Ables reported the transfer of a passenger in the SUV to Wellstar MCG Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. More information about the passenger’s condition was unavailable.
No other injuries were reported.
There was no indication as to whether Bailey or his companion were wearing seat belts.
There was no information on how fast the SUV was going when it swerved off the road, but the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office are still investigating the crash. Ables has confirmed that an autopsy will take place in Newberry.
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, as of November 10, 2024, at least 837 people died on South Carolina roads. The DPS revealed that 1,030 people died in collisions in South Carolina last year.
According to DPS records, at least 27 people died in collisions in Aiken County in 2024. According to DPS, 38 deaths occurred in the county in 2023.