An early Saturday morning head on collision with a tractor-trailer claimed the life of one Whitmire woman and left another in critical condition.
The accident occurred at the Duncan Creek bridge on SC Highway 121 on the south side of Whitmire shortly after 6AM Saturday morning. According to Lance Cpl Tony Keller of the SC Highway Patrol, a 2008 Chrysler driven by 23-year-old Alisha Taylor was travelling north into Whitmire when the vehicle crossed the center line and collided head on with a 2005 Freightliner tractor-trailer which was travelling south toward Newberry.
A passenger in the Chrysler, 26-year-old Shelly Wicker, died at the scene. Alisha Taylor was flown to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital in Columbia where she underwent emergency surgery. Her condition as of Sunday afternoon remained critical but stable.
The impact ruptured a fuel tank on the tractor-trailer causing diesel fuel to spill onto the roadway. That spill along with the investigation of the accident resulted in SC 121 being closed for several hours during the day on Saturday.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was not seriously injured in the crash.