A three vehicle MVC sent two people to the hospital and closed the intersection of Bells Hwy. (SC Hwy 64) and Lowcountry Hwy (US Hwy 21) [Bells Crossroads] for 4-1/2 hours Friday afternoon June 7, 2024. A pickup truck hauling a flatbed trailer with a passenger car pulled into the path of a northbound semi-truck. The semi-truck struck the trailer, flipping the towed vehicle on its side. The trailer and flipped car then struck a pickup truck that was stopped at the intersection. The semi-truck jackknifed causing the trailer to strike the cab, resulting in the fuel tank being breached. The accident blocked the intersection and the damaged semi-truck spilled a large amount of diesel, engine oil, and transmission fluid onto the highway. Firefighter-Paramedics arrived quickly from Station 18 one block away. Crews treated the injured and transported two people to Colleton Medical Center. Other Firefighters contained the spilled fuel and requested HazMat to respond. Once on scene, HazMat Techs plugged the leaking fuel tank and finished diking the spilled fuel. A private contractor responded to the scene to clean up the spilled fluids. Traffic at the busy intersection was rerouted for 4-1/2 hours. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
