By the grace of God, a 28 year-old woman miraculously survived a high speed MVC in the 6800 block of Sidneys Road Saturday morning 21-November. At 01:28 Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue units were dispatched to the vicinity after a residence called 9-1-1 advising he was awakened by a loud crash and could hear a car horn.
The accident occurred on a rural secondary road approximately nine miles north of Walterboro, SC. Firefighter-Paramedics arrived to find a single-car off of the roadway with massive damage. The Ford Contour was separated into two pieces. The female driver was conscious and still belted in the driver’s seat, the only intact place in the small car. A bystander was comforting her. Crews quickly determined she was suffering from multiple traumatic injuries and requested a medical helicopter to respond. The patient’s legs were trapped in the wreckage, but with most of the vehicle gone, crews were able to manipulate the seat to extricate the woman without the use of hydraulic tools.
A landing zone was established in a field near the intersection of Sidneys Road and Round O Road, ½ mile north of the scene. LifeNet 4 responded to the location and the patient was transferred to the flight crew without incident, then flown to the Trauma Center at the SC Medical University in Charleston.
The car had been traveling north on Sidneys Road when it left the roadway in a curve and struck a tree. The driver stated she fell asleep. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
Engine 19, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 109, and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Ben Heape served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo