A disabled Vietnam veteran lost his life on the Fourth of July in a single-car crash on U.S. 178 approximately six miles east of Orangeburg.

The fatal wreck occurred at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday.

According to Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall, the victim was John Henry Johnson Jr., 61, of Orangeburg.

Sgt. Kelley Hughes of the S.C. Highway Patrol said Johnson died at the scene after his 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible ran off the right side of the road as it was entering a slight curve on the left, struck a culvert and overturned, coming to rest on the grounds of Bethel United Methodist Church at 4307 Charleston Highway, U.S. 178.

Johnson was wearing a seat belt and was not ejected, Hughes said. He was alone in the vehicle.

Nelson Satones of Orangeburg, the victim's brother-in-law, stood watching as emergency personnel with the Orangeburg County S.T.A.R. Team and the West Middle and Cordova Fire Departments worked to free Johnson's body from the mangled wreckage. The church marquee overlooking the tragic scene read: "Only one bound to Christ is truly free."

Patones described Johnson as "an outgoing guy," adding that Johnson's mother had just passed away back in November.

Johnson spent his time between Orangeburg and New York, he said.

Hughes said speed is believed to have been a factor in the crash. The SCHP is awaiting the results of a toxicology report and the investigation is ongoing, Hughes said.

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