For the Press and Standard
At 5:42 p.m., Sunday, April 9, two tractor trailers collided at the southbound 42 mile marker on Interstate 95, a site just north of a previous collision earlier Sunday that proved fatal to the passenger.
State troopers who were still on the scene of the previous accident blocked the Interstate, rerouting traffic up the exit ramp to Lowcountry Highway (U.S. 21)
One of the two trucks that collided was hauling hazardous chemicals, some of which were carried in containers on pallets. The impact caused the load to shift, damaging approximately seven of the containers and causing several to begin leaking. The product spilled onto the highway.
Fire-Rescue units responded with a Hazardous Material Team and set up in the southbound lanes. Fire-Rescue HazMat Technicians donned Level “A” protective suits to examine the leak. S.C. Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s Office, State Transport Police and DHEC also responded.
Several Firefighter-Paramedics worked to contain the leak. A private contractor also responded to clean up the spill and haul off the damaged containers. Traffic on southbound I-95 was again stopped and rerouted for several hours causing holiday traffic to back up over six miles.
S.C. Highway Patrol diverted traffic from the Interstate and Colleton Sheriff’s Deputies kept the traffic moving across Lowcountry Highway to keep it moving as smoothly as possible.
Fire-Rescue units and law enforcement were on the scene for over eight hours.
