Cardiac issue may be source of accident

Christopher Sardelli
csardelli@thelancasternews.com  
A Lancaster man was pronounced dead at the scene of a pickup truck accident in the New Cut community Friday morning, Jan. 4.
Curtis Cauthen, 63, may have died from a heart attack as he was driving the truck at about 9 a.m. Near the intersection of Camp Creek and Old Farm roads, said Lancaster County Deputy Coroner Tony Broome.
Old Farm Road runs between Shiloh Unity and Camp Creek roads.
“From the investigation, it appears he had a cardiac issue or a heart attack. He ran off the road, rode a dirt bank on the side of the road for 229 feet and then rode into the edge of some trees,” Broome said.
Members of the Lancaster County Emergency Medical Services, S.C. Highway Patrol and local fire departments responded to the scene.
The accident scene is located in the Camp Creek Fire District near New Cut Presbyterian Church.
Broome said the definitive cause of death is still undetermined and an autopsy was scheduled for Saturday morning.
“There was no damage to his truck or to him. He was already deceased when people found him,” Broome said. “There were no physical marks on him and the truck was not real torn up.”
Broome said there were no obvious signs of braking at the accident scene, though muddy tire tracks could be seen near the scene.
“It looks like he never hit the brake pedal,” Broome said.
About an hour after the accident, a tow truck removed Cauthen’s white Ford pickup truck from the scene, as several onlookers watched.
Broome said many were Cauthen’s family members, who responded shortly after the accident.

Aaron Morrison

Curtis Cauthen’s pickup is loaded onto a rollback truck on Camp Creek Road just past where he was found Friday morning.

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Contact reporter Chris Sardelli at (803) 416-8416