Five-month-old girl survives two-vehicle crash that killed her 23-year-old mom

A 5-month-old girl survived a two-vehicle collision that killed her 23-year-old mom last week in northern Richland County.

And on Monday, the Richland County Coroner’s Office released the identity of the woman as Ms. Brittany M. Powell, of Elgin Road in Elgin.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is still trying to determine what caused the crossover wreck.

The wreck happened around 1:50 p.m. on Elgin Road while Ms. Powell was driving a 2007 Hyundai, officials said.

Ms. Powell, for unknown reasons, crossed the center lane and a 53-year-old driver of a pickup truck swerved to avoid her vehicle, according to media reports. But then Ms. Powell swerved back into her lane and struck the pickup truck head-on.

Ms. Powell was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene, the coroner Mr. Gary Watts said. She was a half mile from home, he said.

Her 5-month-old daughter was in a child restraint seat in the backseat of the car and survived the crash, Mr. Watts said.

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