Oconee County Coroner’s Office and South Carolina Highway Patrol Investigating Fatal Weekend Accident near Westminster

(Seneca, SC)—-The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Oconee County Coroner’s Office are investigating a fatal weekend single vehicle accident that occurred near Westminster.

According to Lance Corporal David Jones, the accident occurred Friday night on Highway 183 near the intersection of Oak Grove Road.

Coroner Karl Addis has identified the decedent in the accident as 38 year old Rene Vargas Pacheco of Walhalla.

Coroner Addis says that a 911 call reporting the accident was received at approximately 11:25pm.

Trooper Jones tells us that Pacheco was operating a 2000 Chevrolet pickup and was traveling northbound on Highway 183. The vehicle went off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree.

According to Trooper Jones, Pacheco was transported by paramedics to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. Coroner Addis says that Pacheco was pronounced dead at 12:56am Saturday morning from blunt force chest trauma.

Pacheco died in the emergency department at Prisma Health – Greenville Memorial Hospital.