A truck driver is credited with saving the lives of three people following a multi-vehicle accident on I-95 near the 49 mile marker northbound, Sunday 30-April at 09:53 in Colleton County, SC. Apparently, a car collided with a pickup truck causing the pickup to spin out of control on the rain slick highway. The car slid down the embankment and struck a tree trapping the male driver. The pickup truck came to rest sideways in the travel lanes. A northbound tractor-trailer was able to stop quickly and maneuver sideways stopping within two feet of the driver’s door of the disabled pickup truck avoiding a collision. A second northbound pickup truck drove into the rear of the tractor trailer at a high rate of speed with about five feet of the truck going under the back of the trailer. The male driver of the second pickup truck was heavily entrapped in his vehicle.
Both northbound lanes of I-95 were blocked by the wreckage. The first Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue unit found the driver of the second pickup truck conscious but entrapped. A medical helicopter was requested, but declined the flight due to poor weather conditions. The driver of the car was also trapped with the roof crushed into the passenger compartment. The man had no pulse and was not breathing. The Coroner’s Office was notified.
Firefighter-Paramedics removed debris from the passenger side of the pickup truck and were able to enter the vehicle. Access to the patient was limited, but patient care was initiated while other crewmembers deployed Holmatro rescue tools, using hydraulic spreaders to remove the driver’s door. Crews had the tractor trailer driver carefully pull the truck forward about three feet to provide room to displace the dash. The hydraulic spreader was used to push the dash forward and off of the patient who was extricated with spinal precautions and transported emergent by Medic 13 to the trauma center at Trident.
When the Coroner’s Office completed their investigation, extrication began on the passenger car. Hydraulic spreaders were used to remove the driver’s door, then cutters were used to remove the front section of the roof to free the driver who was transported by the Coroner’s Office. A female passenger in the same vehicle received only minor injuries and was transported to Colleton Medical Center by Medic 26. Northbound traffic on I-95 was stopped in the area of the accident for over two hours.
Engine 1, Rescue 1, Medic 1, Medic 13, Medic 26, Battalion 1, and Car 109 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy ,Fire Chief ,Colleton County Fire-Rescue
Four people died in a two-vehicle, high speed collision on Interstate 95 near the 44 mile marker southbound, Friday morning 11-November at 03:58. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue units arrived to find a tractor-trailer off in the woods. A passenger car had been struck in the rear and also pushed into the woods. The larger truck crushed the car and drove on top of the vehicle trapping all four rear passengers and the adult female driver. A male front seat passenger was able to exit the vehicle with assistance and was moved to Medic 13 for treatment of his injuries.
The car suffered massive damage. Firefighter-paramedics used Holmatro rescue tools to gain access to the female driver. She was unconscious and suffered multiple traumatic injuries. Crews used chainsaws to remove several large pine trees that had been knocked down. Multiple hydraulic tools, including spreaders, cutters, and rams were used during the extrication. Once the trees were removed, chains were rigged between hydraulic spreaders to two large pine trees and then to portions of the car to pull the dash forward to free the driver.
Three additional Fire-Rescue ambulances and the LifeNet 4 medical helicopter were assigned to the incident. LifeNet landed at the scene on I-95 just south of the accident. When the driver was freed, she was quickly treated in Medic 26, then flown in critical condition to the trauma center at Trident Medical in Summerville. The male passenger was transported by Fire-Rescue to Colleton Medical Center, but later was transferred to the trauma center at Trident Medical. The truck driver was also transported to Colleton Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.
The Coroner’s Office and the SC Highway Patrol MAIT Team responded to the scene. Once their investigations were completed, firefighter-paramedics extricated the remaining four victims. Two wreckers pulled the truck off of the car to allow firefighters access to the vehicle. Three children and one adult female in the back seat were deceased. The Coroner’s Office transported the bodies. SC Transport Police and the Sheriff’s Office also assisted. Fire Rescue units were on the scene for five and half hours. Traffic was down to one lane during the incident and backed up for five miles.
Engine 1, Engine 26, Rescue 1, Medic 1, Medic 13, Medic 19, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 12 and Car 105 responded. Deputy Chief David Greene served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A Spartanburg (SC) truck driver was killed after his tractor trailer over-turned on I-95 near the 65 mile marker northbound Thursday evening 22-September at 19:06. Witnesses stated the truck swerved to avoid a car who entered his lane, causing the truck to strike a guard rail. The truck received heavy damage, trapping the unrestrained driver inside.
Colleton County (SC) firefighter-paramedics arrived minutes later to find the northbound lanes blocked. The trailer, that was hauling watermelons, was in the median, while the cab was partially in the median and partially in the roadway. The truck driver suffered multiple traumatic injuries and had no signs of life.
The Coroner’s Office was notified and responded to the scene. Once the Coroner completed his investigation, crews were cleared to begin the extrication at 20:30. Holmatro rescue tools, reciprocating saws, and chains rigged to the spreaders were used to complete the extrication, which took a little over an hour.
The Coroner’s Office transported the patient. Traffic in the northbound lanes was blocked for nearly an hour and down to one lane for four hours. It was blocked again when the towing company arrived to remove the truck. The trailer was left in the median until Friday, so it could be unloaded and righted during day light hours. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Engine 24, Engine 26, Tender 27, Rescue 1, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 12, Car 107, Car 110 and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Scott Feather served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
Two Colleton County (SC) residents died following a head-on collision in the 1700 block of Jefferies Highway (US Hwy 15) just north of Wintergreen Road early Sunday morning 11-September at 02:07. A Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Geo Metro struck head-on at a high rate of speed on a straight portion of roadway causing extensive damage to both vehicles and trapping all three occupants.
Fire-Rescue Medic 19 arrived to find Jefferies Highway blocked by the wreckage. The unrestrained occupants of the Geo were heavily entrapped and had no signs of life. The unrestrained driver of the Jeep suffered multiple traumatic injuries. Colleton County Firefighter-Paramedics used Holmatro rescue tools to remove the driver’s side door on the Jeep to gain access to the driver. He was treated during the extrication, then transported by Medic 19 to the trauma center at Trident Medical in Summerville.
After the Coroner’s Office conducted their investigation, firefighter-paramedics used Holmatro rescue tools to remove the roof and doors on the Geo to access the patients. A hydraulic ram was used to displace the dash off of one victim to allow for the person to be extricated from the car. The Coroner’s Office transported both victims to Colleton Medical Center. Traffic in the area of the accident was detoured for five hours until the SC Highway Patrol completed their investigation.
Engine 19, Engine 26, Medic 19, Medic 26, Rescue 1, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Captain Justin Warko served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
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 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
