A positive identification is needed before officials can release the name of the victim burned to death when a truck caught fire just off Scott Road, seven miles south of Chesterfield Thursday night, March 28.
“We have a general idea, but we’re not positive,” said Chesterfield County Deputy Coroner Craig Walker. “We won’t know for sure until we have DNA and chest X-ray results.”
South Carolina Highway Patrol Officer Tony Keller, who responded to the incident at approximately 11 p.m., said the victim was driving a 2003 Chevrolet S10. “The vehicle, traveling north, appears to have run off the right side of the road, struck a ditch and burst into flames. “
However, Walker said, upon further investigation, it appears the victim “had gotten stuck in the ditch.”
“It was sandy, and it was dark out there in the middle of the night. But you could see where the vehicle had backed up, and moved forward again in the sand,” said Walker. “Apparently, they tried to get out but were trapped in the truck when it burst into flames. It’s very tragic.”
— Staff Writer Karen Kissiah can be reached by calling 843-537-5261, or by email at kkissiah@civitasmedia.com.
“It was sandy, and it was dark out there in the middle of the night. But you could see where the vehicle had backed up, and moved forward again in the sand,” said Walker. “Apparently, they tried to get out but were trapped in the truck when it burst into flames. It’s very tragic.”
Read more: The Cheraw Chronicle
Was there more than one body in the burned vehicle?