Colleton County Fire-Rescue

02/13/2023

	13/February/2024 - Semi Truck MVC with Fire - "C" Shift Incident # 24-01169 - North and Southbound Interstate 95 between Exit 53 and Exit 57 was closed for ten hours Tuesday morning 13-February. 9-1-1 was notified at 01:03 of a tractor trailer truck striking the southbound bridge near mile marker 55. The callers advised the truck was on fire and the cattle trailer went off into the river. Engine 26 and Medic 26 arrived to find the cab and chassis of the truck fully involved. The rear of the truck was hanging over the side of the bridge. Crews could see a portion of the cattle trailer submerged in the river. It was apparent the trailer had come apart in the collision. Firefighter-Paramedics located the driver who had escaped with non-life threatening injuries. Both southbound lanes were blocked due to the fire and debris. Diesel fuel covered the bridge and was leaking into the river. Crews deployed one handline to the truck and requested additional units. The truck driver advised he had in excess of 35 cows onboard the trailer. As additional resources arrived, firefighters and law enforcement discovered several cows in the river and on the banks. Some were injured. One passenger car struck debris in the roadway and was disabled north of the accident, blocking the median side lane. The driver of the car was uninjured. As additional units began to arrive, it was found that several cows were walking in the northbound lanes of the Interstate. For safety reasons, the Highway Patrol closed the northbound lanes as well. The dark colored cows were not visible in the darkness of the rural stretch of I-95. Sheriff Deputies and Walterboro Police set up a detour for northbound traffic at Exit 53 to Sniders Hwy. (SC Hwy 63). They also detoured southbound traffic at Exit 57 to Bells Hwy. (SC Hwy 64). All I-95 traffic ran through Walterboro, creating many traffic problems during the day, as the side roads were not designed for that amount of traffic flow.
	On scene, crews transported the truck driver to Colleton Medical Center. DOT was requested at the scene and to set up temporary detours at the two Exits. Colleton County Animal Services responded with multiple units. They eventually had several local volunteers. Veterinarians and ranchers assist them, some on horseback in an effort to secure the loose cattle. The effort ran into hours as the cattle ran in multiple directions. The Sheriff's Office also brought a small jon boat to the site. With traffic rerouted, the four miles of Interstate was clear. In an unusual site, riders on horseback used lassos to catch some of the cows and place them in cattle trailers.  The personnel performed a great job and it required much coordination. Wrecker crews cleared the burned truck from the highway, allowing DOT crews to sand the bridge in an effort to secure the spilled diesel fuel. DOT also had bridge inspectors on site examining the bridge due to damage incurred during the collision. After ten hours officials were satisfied that cattle near the Interstate had been rounded up. Sheriff's Deputies, local ranchers, DNR Officers, Fire-Rescue  and Animal Services spent most of the afternoon chasing down rogue cows that had made it into neighborhoods near the Interstate. Fire-Rescue and Deputies used drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to search the swampy areas near the accident and neighboring woods.  Engine 1, Engine 26, Tender 1, Tender 26, Medic 1, Medic 26, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 107 and Car 111 responded. Battalion Chief Chris Jones served as Incident Commander.

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