20/March/2018 – Fatal MVC with entrapment – “B” Shift

Incident # 18-01977 – An adult male died from injuries he sustained in a two vehicle head-on collision in the 2400 block of Cottageville Hwy. (US Hwy 17-A) just north of Bedon Road Tuesday afternoon 20-March. At 13:46, 9-1-1 Dispatchers began receiving reports of the incident advising one car was overturned and one pickup truck was blocking the highway. Several callers reported the pickup truck was on fire. An off duty Fire Captain drove up on the accident shortly after it occurred. A nurse and several DNR Officers were also on the scene trying to assisted the man trapped in the overturned car. Engine 19 and Medic 19 arrived to find the highway blocked by the truck and debris. The Ford F-150 pickup was across the roadway with heavy smoke and flames coming from the interior. A Mercury Sable was overturned down the embankment. Both vehicles suffered heavy damage. Firefighter-Paramedics began treating the injured and deployed one 1-3/4 handline to extinguish the truck fire. A second Fire-Rescue ambulance (Medic 9) arrived minutes after Medic 19. No medical helicopters could fly due to poor weather conditions. The driver of the pickup truck was placed in Medic 9, then transported to the Trauma Center at Trident Medical Center in North Charleston. The driver of the Sable suffered multiple traumatic injuries and had no signs of life. The Coroner’s Office was notified and responded to the scene. Once their investigation was completed, Firefighter-Paramedics righted the car using the winch on Car 107, then used Holmatro Rescue Tools to free the trapped driver. The Coroner’s Office transported the man.

The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. The section of Cottageville Highway between Bedon Road and Phillips Road was closed for over two hours.  

Engine 19, Medic 9, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 107, Car 112, Car 116 and Car 119 responded. Captain Dewayne Jacques served as Incident Commander.