A Richland county coroner’s jury last night absolved C. D. Talley of Columbia of blame in the traffic death of H. T. Terry, 72, of Blaney and Columbia.

The jury found that Mr. Terry’s death was due to mischance or accident.

The victim was struck October 19 while walking across the 2700 block of Two Notch road.

According to inquest testimony, he had reached the middle of the road when southbound traffic forced him to step backward into the path of Talley’s automobile.