23/December/2015 – Fatal MVC – “B” Shift

Incident # 15-07456 – At 05:03, Wednesday morning 23-December, following a heavy thunderstorm, a single vehicle accident claimed the life of a 17 year old North Charleston youth. The accident occurred on a rural section of roadway in the 8000 block of Charleston Hwy. (SC Hwy. 64). The ditches were filled with water and overflowed onto the highway covering most of the road. The west bound Toyota 4Runner apparently hit the water and lost control. It was towing a metal jon boat. The car entered the westbound water filled ditch, struck a tree and over-turned receiving heavy damage. Initial reports indicated that two people were trapped inside and the car was filling with water. The caller advised they were holding one of the occupants head up out of the water. A bystander reported, two truck drivers from Smith Trucking drove up on the accident and they got into the water and were able to free the two patients inside the car. A Colleton County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived a short time later. One patient, a 17 year old male was in cardiac arrest. The truck drivers and the Deputy began performing CPR on the youth. When Firefighter-Paramedics arrived they continued CPR and other resuscitative efforts. Fire-Rescue rapidly transported him to Colleton Medical Center, but he did not survive. A second Fire-Rescue ambulance responded and transported three other teenage males to Colleton Medical Center.

 They were 17, 18 and 19 years old. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

Engine 2, Medic 6, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 12 and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.