CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – One person died in a vehicle fire early Thursday morning that blocked all southbound lanes on Interstate 85 in Gaffney.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the incident occurred near Exit 95- SC 18 Gaffney after 4:20 a.m. following a two-vehicle crash.
Investigators determined a 2015 Nissan Altima was traveling south at a high rate of speed when it hit a parked Ford F150 in the rear and then rested against a concrete barrier wall.
The Nissan caught fire and trapped the victim inside according to investigators.
The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the driver of the Nissan died at the scene. She has been identified as 40-year-old Melissa Wilkinson Dehaven, of King, North Carolina.
The driver of the Ford F150 was taken to the hospital for their injuries.
The scene was cleared around 4 p.m.
