08-October-2020 – Fatal High Speed MVC – “A” Shift

Incident # 20-06869 – A 78 year old Florida woman died from injuries she received in a four vehicle MVC on I-95 at the 68 mile marker northbound, just south of Augusta Hwy. (SC Hwy 61) Thursday morning 08-October at 04:52. Colleton 9-1-1 received multiple reports of the collision which involved a van, a passenger car and two tractor trailer trucks. Callers advised one person was not breathing and CPR was in progress. Initial responding Fire-Rescue units requested two additional Fire-Rescue Ambulances and one medical helicopter. Engine 26 arrived to find the Interstate blocked by debris and vehicles. A Hyundai Tucson with heavy front end and rear damage was blocking the median lane. Two semi-trucks, both with dual trailers were in the median, one with a trailer over-turned and leaking a white substance. An over-turned Dodge van with heavy damage was found off of the right shoulder. Firefighter-Paramedics began triaging and treating patients until additional units arrived. The medical helicopter could not fly due to fog near its base. According to witnesses, the accident occurred when the Hyundai collided with the van causing the van to go off of the right shoulder, down the embankment to a water filled ditch. The van flipped over approximately four times, breaking off the fiberglass top and ejecting the female passenger into the water. The driver was still seat belted in the vehicle. The Hyundai skidded into the median, then back onto the highway, where it was struck by one of the tractor trailer trucks. The truck managed to stop north of the accident.

A second Semi truck attempted the avoid the accident, entered the median where the second trailer over-turned. The truck drivers exited their vehicles and went to assist the persons in the other two vehicles. While assisting the driver from the van, the man asked about his wife. The truck drivers searched the dark wooded area and located the woman in the water behind the van. They pulled the unconscious woman to dry ground and began CPR. When Fire-Rescue arrived, resuscitative efforts were continued. The woman was transported emergent to Colleton Medical Center. The ED staffed work on her for a long period of time, but the woman did not survive her injuries. The driver of the van and the woman in the Hyundai were both transported to Colleton Medical Center. None of the truck drivers were injured. As debris was cleared from one lane, it was opened about an hour later to allow traffic to flow. Traffic backed up six miles and remained congested for most of the morning. SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and were on the scene for several hours. The white substance leaking from the trailer turned out to be a non-hazardous epoxy. Fire-Rescue units were on the scene for six hours. 

Engine 5, Engine 26, Medic 1, Medic 19, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 105, Car 112 and Car 118 responded. Captain John Schneider served as Incident Commander.