Five cars pile up on I-95

Posted

At 5:31 a.m. Sunday Jan. 3, Colleton Fire-Rescue units were sent to I-95 at the 42-mile marker southbound for a multi-vehicle accident.
The ambulance arrived to find an Audi in the median with heavy damage and the female driver entrapped in the wreckage.
A Dodge truck pulling a car-hauling trailer had jack-knifed and was south of the Audi. The truck struck a tree, receiving heavy damage and the male driver was heavily entrapped in the wreckage.
A third car, a Volkswagen, collided with the Dodge truck.
Crews requested a rescue unit, one additional Fire-Rescue ambulance and a medical helicopter. The car-hauling trailer had lost several of the vehicles from the trailer which had fallen into the median.
While paramedics were attending to the injured, a southbound Hyundai Santa Fe struck the back of the trailer which was blocking the median side travel lane. Almost immediately, a Honda Accord also struck the back of the trailer ripping the entire driver’s side from the Accord.
The occupants of the Accord suffered multiple traumatic injuries and were trapped in their vehicle. Crews notified dispatch and requested two more Fire-Rescue ambulances and one additional engine.
Firefighter-paramedics worked to free three victims from three vehicles simultaneously.
The driver of the Audi suffered a head injury and was semi-conscious. She was flown from the scene by C.A.R.E. Flight to the Trauma Center at MUSC.
The male driver of the pickup truck was transported emergent with additional firefighter-paramedics on board to assist with care. He was transported to the Trauma Center at Trident Hospital.
The remainder of the patients were transported by Fire-Rescue to Colleton Medical Center.
Units were on the scene for four hours. I-95 traffic was detoured to the exit ramp across Lowcountry Highway and backed up for several miles.
The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control.