The drivers of separate vehicles died following a high-speed head-on collision in the 9800 block of Green Pond Highway (S.C. Hwy. 303) at the intersection of Waters Court Wednesday Feb. 19 at 7:27 p.m.
The drivers of both vehicles, Andre Brown, 33, of Walterboro and Shirley Ferguson, 70, of Green Pond, did not survive.
The cars collided after a northbound Hyundai Sonata dropped off of the right shoulder, over-corrected, then lost control. The Sonata entered the southbound lane and struck a southbound Ford Taurus head-on, causing heavy damage to both vehicles.
The Taurus was pushed into the water-filled ditch on the southbound side of the roadway. The Sonata came to rest on the northbound shoulder, partially in the roadway. Debris from both cars littered the scene.
All occupants suffered multiple traumatic injuries and were trapped in the wreckage.
The female Taurus driver had no signs of life at the scene, and the 75-year-old female passenger was critically injured.
The two occupants of the Sonata also suffered multiple traumatic injuries, were in critical condition and unconscious.
First arriving Fire-Rescue units requested two additional Fire-Rescue ambulances and medical helicopters. Due to poor weather conditions, no helicopters could fly.
Firefighter-paramedics began treating the injured and used rescue tools to free the passenger of the Taurus. Crews removed the driver’s side rear door and forced the seat down to extricate the woman through the back seat.
The vehicle was in knee-deep water and the passenger side was against a tree stump, preventing the passenger side from being accessible. The patient was removed with full spinal precautions and transported by ambulance to the Trauma Center at MUSC.
The coroner’s office was notified for the Taurus driver.
Other crews worked on the two occupants of the Sonata who both suffered critical multiple traumatic injuries. The 30-year-old female passenger was treated at the scene and remained unconscious. She was transported by ambulance to the Trauma Center at MUSC with additional personnel on board to assist with her care.
The Sonata’s male driver was unconscious and had breathing difficulties. He was quickly treated at the scene, then transported to Colleton Medical Center by ambulance with additional personnel onboard to assist with his care. The patient went into cardiac arrest twice and was revived by firefighter-paramedics enroute to the hospital; however, he did not survive his injuries.
The coroner and his staff responded to the scene and conducted an investigation.
Once completed, fire crews used rescue tools to extricate the driver of the Taurus. She was transported by the coroner’s office.
The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Green Pond Highway in the area of the accident was blocked for over four hours until the scene was cleared.
