19-Year-Old Injured in Crash with Big Rig on Bells Highway in Colleton County, SC
Colleton County, SC — December 10, 2022, a 19-year-old was critically injured in a collision with a tractor-trailer on Bells Highway in Colleton County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 7:00 a.m. on Bells Highway (State Highway 64) near I-95 in the Walterboro area. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving a Toyota 4Runner on the highway when he collided with a commercial 18-wheeler for unknown reasons. The SUV became wedged beneath the big rig and sustained heavy damage.
Responders extricated the Toyota driver and transported him to a Charleston trauma center. The 32-year-old semi-truck driver reportedly received non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Colleton County Truck Accident on Bells Hwy
There's no telling yet how or why this accident happened, but given the serious damage done (and the involvement of a commercial truck) a careful investigation is clearly in order. Until more facts are available and can tell the story it's important not to jump to conclusions.
Having said that, I have some misgivings about how thorough police will really be. That's not meant to insult their hard work, but I've learned over the years that conflicting priorities, limited training, and only so many resources spread thin throughout a precinct mean traffic accidents--particularly non-fatal ones--sometimes get a rushed investigation and an incomplete report before police move on to something else. Obviously missing pieces of the puzzle or wrong conclusions on the "official" report can be serious problems for people in search of answers or help down the road, which is why I often recommend independent experts look again and ensure nothing crucial slipped through the cracks.
