Car rear-ends tractor trailer, goes into median and bursts into flames

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By HEATHER RUPPE

A two-vehicle, high-speed motor vehicle crash sent one person to an area hospital Trauma Center and a second man to Colleton Medical Center.

The crash occurred on Sunday at about 5:45 a.m. on Oct. 10th. Colleton County Fire-Rescue was dispatched to Interstate 95 near the 61-mile marker where a Honda Civic was traveling in the northbound lane and rear-ended a northbound tractor trailer. CCFR Director Barry McRoy said the Honda Civic was traveling at a “high rate of speed” when the crash occurred.

The Honda Civic driver then lost control, and the car went into a wooded median and overturned. The car then caught fire. “The small car received heavy damage, lost control and entered the wooded median,” said McRoy, speaking about the Honda Civic driver.

Two adult males in the Honda Civic escaped the burning vehicle. Firefighter-paramedics found the men laying on the side of the grass along the median. McRoy said one man suffered critical injuries. A medical helicopter was called to the scene to transport one of the men to a trauma center at a Charleston-area hospital. However, due to weather, the helicopter could not fly, said McRoy. Therefore, the crash victim was taken to that trauma center by ambulance.

A second ambulance also transported one person to Colleton Medical Center.

Firefighters extinguished the car fire.

The second vehicle involved in the crash was also heavily damaged; however, the truck driver was not injured, said McRoy.

Traffic on I-95 was blocked for two hours while crews worked to clear the crash.

The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.