Beaufort County, South Carolina — The night of Monday, January 19, has left a quiet Bluffton neighborhood reeling after 48‑year‑old Scott McKeever was struck and killed by a tractor‑trailer on a busy stretch of U.S. Highway 17, officials confirmed.
Family, friends, and neighbors are mourning McKeever, a longtime Bluffton resident described by those who knew him as warm‑hearted and always ready with a smile. Shortly after 7:55 p.m., the South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to reports of a serious collision on U.S. 17 just north of River Road, where McKeever was hit by a northbound 1999 Peterbilt tractor‑trailer while standing in the roadway.
Deputies and paramedics rushed to the scene, but McKeever’s injuries were devastating. The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office confirmed he died at the scene from blunt force trauma. Despite the rapid arrival of emergency crews, nothing could be done to save his life.
The truck driver, whose rig had just passed River Road when the crash occurred, was reported uninjured. Authorities have not released details around why McKeever was in the highway at that moment, and troopers are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the crash.
Friends have taken to social media and gathered near the site in the hours since, laying flowers and candles where McKeever lost his life. Many describe him as a steady presence in the community — someone with deep roots in Bluffton whose loss is felt sharply by those around him.
Law enforcement is urging motorists and pedestrians to stay alert, especially after dark on high‑speed corridors like U.S. 17. Officials remind the public that visibility and caution are critical, particularly in areas without safe pedestrian crossings.
As the investigation unfolds, McKeever’s family and community are left grieving a life cut far too short — a stark reminder of how quickly tragedy can strike on roadways that many of us travel every day.
