David McElroy left Mars Hill early Sunday and never made it home. The 74-year-old was behind the wheel of his 2024 Ford Maverick when everything changed near Exit 80 on Interstate 85.
Around 8 a.m. he pulled off the interstate onto Gossett Road in Spartanburg County. His truck crossed the road and went straight into the northbound lane. It slammed into a 2020 Toyota RAV4 and an enclosed trailer pulled by a 2023 Ford F-250.
Troopers from the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the Maverick had been heading east from the exit ramp. David and his passenger got hurt bad. Both went by ambulance to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. David died there a short while later from his injuries.
The Toyota driver also ended up in the hospital. Three people hurt in total that quiet morning. The whole scene is still under investigation. Nobody has said yet exactly why the truck crossed over like that.
David lived up in Mars Hill, North Carolina. Folks there knew him as a regular guy who had put in 74 years of living. One ordinary trip turned into the last one.
His passenger made it through the hospital doors. Same for the Toyota driver. But David did not. That fact sits heavy on anyone who cared about him.
Sunday morning traffic near the state line claimed one life and left questions hanging. David McElroy is gone. The road keeps moving.
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