UPDATED 09/24/2020
One of the female passengers of the Toyota Takoma has died from her injuries sustained in this accident, according to Colleton County Corner Richard Harvey.
A N.C. man was killed and seven people seriously injured in a two-car collision on I-95 shortly after 4:45 p.m. Sunday.
According to reports, the first vehicle, a Toyota Takoma pickup truck, was traveling southbound on I-95. The second vehicle, a Dodge Avenger, is believed to have crossed the centerline heading northbound, and then crossing the median, striking the Toyota head on.
At 4:47 p.m. 9-1-1 began receiving multiple reports of the collision just south of Exit 53. Callers reported a northbound Dodge Avenger crossed the median and struck a southbound Toyota Tacoma head on, causing heavy damage to both vehicles.
Firefighter-paramedics arrived minutes later to find the southbound lanes of I-95 blocked by the Tacoma, debris and bystanders’ vehicles.
According to an incident report, the Avenger was off the right side of the road and over-turned in the ditch.
Two adult females were inside the front of the Tacoma with critical traumatic injuries.
Three male juveniles were out of the vehicle lying on the ground with various injuries. A 12-year-old was also severely injured.
Crews requested two medical helicopters and three additional fire-rescue ambulances.
The injured were treated and the CARE Flight helicopter landed on the interstate just south of the accident scene. The 12-year-old was flown to the Children’s Trauma Center at MUSC in Charleston.
The remaining patients were treated at the scene, then transported to the Peds and Adult Trauma Centers at MUSC.
The driver, James Francis Prokop, 37, of Wilmington, N.C., died of multiple trauma at the scene. Deputy Coroners Richard Carter and Wayne Walker responded.
Bystanders, including several nurses and off-duty firefighter-EMTs, assisted in caring for the injured prior to the arrival of Fire-Rescue and during the treatment of the patients.
Once the coroners completed their investigation, firefighter-paramedics used rescue tools to free the Avenger’s driver. He was transported by the coroner’s office.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. Southbound traffic on I-95 was completely stopped for over an hour, detoured to Sniders Highway and backed up over five miles.
