A Walterboro (SC) man died from injuries he received in a single car, high speed crash on I-95 Friday afternoon (2/19/16) at 17:49. The female driver suffered multiple injuries and was flown by helicopter to the trauma center at MUSC in Charleston, SC. Multiple callers to 9-1-1 reported the car left the roadway and rolled over multiple times before striking several trees. The Jeep Cherokee suffered heavy damage in the collision trapping both occupants. Colleton County (SC) Firefighter-Paramedics arrived to find the car upright in the median against two large trees. The female driver was conscious. The male occupant had no signs of life.
Crews used Holmatro Rescue Tools to remove the driver’s door and displace some debris to free the woman. A medical helicopter was placed on standby at Colleton Medical Center (CMC). Once the extrication was completed, the woman was treated at the scene, then transported in Fire-Rescue Medic 13 to meet with LifeNet 4 at CMC. The male was extricated and then transported from the scene by the Coroner’s Office after they completed their investigation. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
Engine 13, Engine 27, Medic 1, Medic 13, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 107 and Car 109 responded. Battalion Chief Dan Barb served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A 3500 sq ft dwelling was destroyed in an early morning fire in the 5400 block of Prices Bridge Road Tuesday morning 16-February. At 03:02, 9-1-1 was notified of the incident, with the caller reporting flames coming from the home along Chessey Creek. The home is located near the end of a five mile long dead-end road. The fire occurred during a severe thunderstorm with blinding rain and 33 mph winds. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Engine 6 arrived to find the single-story block building approximately 80% involved. The roof had already collapsed over a portion of the building. They initially attempted to use the deck gun, but the strong winds prevented the water from reaching the building. Firefighter-Paramedics deployed three handlines to combat the fire. The wind-driven fire spread rapidly and quickly consumed the remainder of the building. An operational Model T and a Corvette were also destroyed in the garage. It took approximately 40 minutes to bring the fire under control. The home and contents were destroyed. Fire units were on the scene for six hours. Water supply was conducted with a tender shuttle from a dry hydrant at Prices Bridge Landing, two miles from the scene. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Engine 6, Engine 12, Tender 1, Tender 6, Tender 12, Tender 19, Tender 27, Medic 1, Medic 6, Medic 19, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Scott Feather served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A mid-day structure fire heavily damaged a Moselle residence, Monday 15-February. A motorist reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the rural home at 12:16. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Engine 18 arrived to find fire showing from the roof and eves on three sides of the doublewide mobile home. A portion of the roof over the master bedroom had already collapsed. Firefighter-Paramedics deployed two 1-3/4 handlines into the dwelling through the front door. They encountered heavy fire conditions in the east side of the building and in the attic space. Crews worked for 20 minutes to gain control of the fire. They were able to stop the advance of the flames at the middle of the structure and preserve the west side of the building. The remainder of the home suffered substantial smoke damage. No one was at home when the fire occurred. Firefighters were on the scene for 3-1/2 hours. Water supply was handled with tenders pumping to Engine 18. The fire originated in the master bedroom. The exact cause is under investigation.
Engine 18, Engine 23, Tender 4, Tender 15, Tender 23, Tender 26, Medic 13, Medic 18, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Scott Feather served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A 63-year-old Islandton man was severely injured in a single-car, high speed MVC in the 1200 block of Ashton Road in western Colleton County (SC) Saturday evening 13-February. At 20:53, a Station 15 firefighter radioed in to dispatch that a vehicle had struck a tree and the driver was trapped. The northbound Ford Escape failed to negotiate a curve and ran head-on into a large pine tree in front of the firefighter’s residence. He began rendering aid until Colleton County Fire-Rescue units arrived.
The driver was pinned in the wreckage between the dashboard, steering wheel, and driver’s seat, as well as his legs when the floor buckled. The passenger side dash was pushed into the front passenger seat, displacing the seat. Crews began treating the man during the extrication which lasted approximately 20 minutes. Firefighters used Holmatro rescue tools to remove the driver’s rear door and “B” post, then displace the dash to extricate the man. He was transported from the scene in Fire-Rescue Medic 13 to a nearby field, transferred to LifeNet 4 and flown to the Trauma Center at MUSC in Charleston. Traffic on Ashton Road near Gibson was blocked for 1-1/2 hours. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Engine 15, Tender 15, Rescue 1, Medic 13, Medic 26, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Captain Matthew Owens Williams, Jr. served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A 21-year-old Cottageville man died following a two vehicle head-on collision in the 5800 block of Cottageville Hwy (US Hwy 17-A) Friday morning 12-February at 05:35. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue units from Station #9 arrived to find a 2007 Ford pickup truck on the northbound shoulder with heavy damage. The engine had been thrown 50 feet into the nearby swamp. The driver suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was trapped in the wreckage with no signs of life.
An empty tractor-trailer dump truck was in the woods on the southbound side. The tractor-trailer struck several large trees after the collision with the pickup. The 70-year-old truck driver was also trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle. Engine 9 requested an additional station and ambulance to be assigned to the incident.
Cottageville Highway was blocked due the wreckage. Firefighter-Paramedics began treating the truck driver in the cab, while other crewmembers used Holmatro rescue tools to displace the dash and remove the seat. The driver was extricated with full spinal precautions, then carried through the swamp and up an embankment to Medic 19. He was transported to Colleton Medical Center with multiple, non-life threatening injuries.
The Coroner’s Office responded to the scene. Following their investigation, firefighters used Holmatro rescue tools to extricate the driver of the pickup truck. The Coroner’s Office transported his body. It appeared the northbound pickup left the roadway, over-corrected, then crossed into the path of the southbound tractor-trailer. The collision punctured and dislodged one of the large fuel tanks off of the dump truck spreading diesel fuel over the entire scene. SCDOT brought a sand truck to cover the spilled fuel. Traffic on Cottageville Highway was detoured for six hours, until the accident could be cleared.
Engine 9, Engine 19, Medic 9, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A 25 yr. old woman suffered multiple traumatic injuries from a single-car crash in the 1000 block of Industrial Road north of Walterboro (SC) Friday evening 05-February. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue was notified of the accident at 23:10 after a witness advised 9-1-1 a car had left the roadway and struck a tree.
Engine 19 and Medic 19, stationed two blocks away, arrived two minutes later to find a 2016 Nissan with massive damage and in several pieces on an embankment. Firefighter-Paramedics found the driver still alive and trapped in the wreckage. They requested a heavy rescue, then placed a medical helicopter on standby. Crews began treating the woman and started the extrication with Holmatro Rescue Tools carried on Engine 19. Treatment included spinal immobilization and multiple IVs.
After Rescue 1 arrived, additional hydraulic rescue tools were deployed to displace the dash. Engine 19’s personnel had already removed the remainder of the driver’s side of the car and the roof. The rear of the car was separated and a portion of the roof had been sheared off. The car had been traveling at a high rate of speed when it left the roadway, drove up an embankment, and struck a driveway. The car became airborne, clearing the driveway, then struck five trees, uprooting one small oak. The extrication took approximately 20 minutes.
Once freed, the patient was rapidly transported by Medic 19 to the helipad at Colleton Medical Center to meet with LifeNet 4 stationed there. The patient was flown to the trauma center at MUSC in Charleston. The Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene and SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Engine 19, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A Renee Court home was destroyed in a Saturday evening blaze 23-Janaury. At 20:34, several callers reported seeing flames coming from a residence near the intersection of Robertson Blvd and Renee Court south of Walterboro. Colleton County Fire-Rescue (SC) Car 118 arrived four minutes later to find the single-story, wooden structure fully-involved. Engine 1 initially used a deck gun to knock down the flames while crews deployed handlines to the building. Two 1-3/4 handlines were used to extinguish the fire. The back of the building had already collapsed prior to arrival indicating the building had been burning for some time before anyone reported the fire. It took approximately 15 minutes to bring the fire under control. Firefighters were on the scene for 2 hours performing overhaul. Water supply was conducted with tenders. No one was at home when the fire occurred and the cause is under investigation.
Engine 1, Engine 26, Tender 1, Tender 19, Tender 27, Medic 1, Battalion 1, and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Scott Feather served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
