LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) - A South Carolina state trooper was hit by a vehicle during a traffic stop Tuesday morning in Lexington County, the third to be hit in less than a month.

According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Master Trooper Wayne LaBounty was airlifted to the hospital in serious condition.

The Lexington County Sheriff's Office said the multi-car crash happened on Augusta Highway around 7:30 a.m., and that one of their marked patrol units was also damaged.

The deputy in that patrol vehicle was not hurt.

LaBounty, a 40-year law enforcement veteran, is the third trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol to be injured or killed since August.

"We are pleading with the public to slow down, move over for blue lights, and never drive impaired," said t

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