Salem Mitchell Carpenter Obituary, COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. — Salem Mitchell Carpenter, 14, has died after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 20 in Columbia County on Monday morning, August 10, according to Columbia County deputies.
Deputies were initially called to a home on Seaton Avenue at approximately 3:46 a.m. after Carpenter was reported missing. According to the sheriff’s office, security footage showed that Carpenter had left the home a short time earlier.
As deputies continued searching for the missing teenager, authorities received a report at approximately 8:03 a.m. that a pedestrian had been struck on I-20 eastbound near mile marker 187. The incident prompted deputies to respond to the interstate as the search for Carpenter continued.
The sheriff’s office said its investigation determined that Carpenter had exited the woods and walked into the path of a 1983 Chevrolet Monte Carlo traveling eastbound on I-20. The teenager was struck by the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries.
Carpenter was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Columbia County Coroner’s Office. Authorities have not released additional details regarding the circumstances that led Carpenter to leave the home or enter the interstate.
According to the sheriff’s office, there are no pending charges against the driver of the Monte Carlo. The investigation into the fatal crash remains based on the circumstances established by authorities at the scene.
Carpenter had previously been reported missing in Lincoln County in May, according to the information released by authorities. He was found two days after that earlier missing-person report.
The death of Salem Mitchell Carpenter marks a tragic loss for those who knew him. As authorities continue to document the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash, his memory remains with his family, friends and community. Condolences go to all those affected by his passing.
