A Campobello man died early Friday morning after driving the wrong way on Interstate 26 and striking a tractor-trailer head-on near mile marker 9, according to state troopers who responded to the scene.
The collision occurred around 3:30 a.m. A transit van was traveling east in the westbound lanes when it hit the tractor-trailer. The crash left both vehicles heavily damaged and closed all westbound lanes as first responders from multiple agencies worked the scene.
The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Stacey Lee Abernathy, 52, of Campobello. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The tractor-trailer driver was injured and transported to a nearby hospital; their condition was not released publicly.
Troopers rerouted westbound traffic through a nearby rest area during the closure. All lanes were reopened by 8:30 a.m. — approximately five hours after the crash — restoring travel between the Spartanburg area and points west during the morning commute window.
Wrong-way driving fatalities on Upstate interstates have drawn attention from transportation officials in recent years, with data showing many such crashes occur in the predawn hours and frequently involve impairment. The investigation into the cause of Abernathy’s wrong-way travel remains open. No details on suspected impairment were released at the scene.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or observed the vehicle driving in the wrong direction before impact to contact the Spartanburg County Highway Patrol office. No further information has been released.
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I hit the rerouting that morning coming into work. Thought it was a fender bender. Devastating to hear it was a fatality. Thoughts are with the family.
Wrong-way crashes on I-26 are not random. The data consistently points to certain hours and contributing factors. This stretch of road needs better infrastructure response.
Stacey was known around here. This is a tragedy for the whole community. Please be careful out there on those early morning drives.
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