Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton said the man who died in a vehicle crash Friday should be identified soon.
The crash occurred about 4:15 p.m. Friday in North Augusta on Cherokee Drive near Sunfest Drive, leaving one dead. The driver's vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree, causing the vehicle to catch fire, Carlton said.
Since Friday, the Coroner's Office has been unable to release the man's identity.
Carlton said the driver is an Hispanic male who is not legal in the United States. He said the Mexican Embassy was able to make contact with the driver's family, and the Embassy has assured the Coroner's Office they will provide a blood or hair sample.
"We hope to receive that in the next couple of days," Carlton said. "Certainly blood samples have to be refrigerated, and I am not sure if it's a card or blood sample. The card is where you take a small amount of blood and put it on a piece of paper, and then dry it."
Carlton said once they receive the sample, the Coroner's Office will then send it to their labs and compare it to the deceased driver.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is assisting the Coroner's Office with this investigation.
The Aiken Standard will continue to report on this story as updates become available.
Maayan Schechter is the local government reporter with Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.
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