Stations 1, 5,
and 19 responded as mutual aid to Dorchester County to assist with a
multi-vehicle MVC on I-95 at the 69 mile marker northbound. The
accident occurred at 1332, Wednesday 22-October and involved three
tractor trailers and a car. One tractor trailer rear ended two other
tractor trailers at a very high rate of speed while crossing over a
bridge. The front of the cab was completely severed, with the remainder
of the cab being torn loose from the frame and turned at 90
degrees to the chassis. The driver was heavily trapped in the wreckage
from the waist down. Colleton County Firefighter-Paramedics and St.
George Firefighters worked for over two hours to extricate the
driver. He died of his injuries approximately 1-1/2 hours into the
extrication. It took firefighters another thirty minutes to
free his body free from the wreckage.
A medical
helicopter landed at the scene and stood by for an hour and a half.
The flight crew assisted with patient care before the man passed away. Everyone
worked hard to get him out. Some personnel worked for the
whole 2 hours without a break, refusing to stop until they got him
out. Dorchester County ambulances transported at least two other
people from
the scene with
various injuries.
The SC Highway
Patrol and SCDOT closed northbound I-95 at Exit 68/SC Hwy 61/Augusta Hwy,
establishing a detour to Jefferies Hwy. (US Hwy 15). The Interstate was
closed for over six hours. Traffic backed up for over seven miles in the
northbound lanes and was not reopened until after 2000.
Engine 19, Rescue
1, Truck 11, Truck 12, Truck 16 responded. Lt. Scott Feather served as
Rescue Sector Command.
