Truck Strikes Parked Van Killing One in Dillon County, South Carolina
DILLON COUNTY, SC- Wmbfnews.com writes that a truck collided with a parked vehicle this week in Dillon County. The tractor-trailer was traveling on SC 38 and approaching Meggs Island Road when it veered onto the shoulder and hit a van that was parked on the side of the road.*
The 50-year-old Raleigh man inside of the van died in the crash. The driver in the truck did not suffer injuries in the collision.
The shoulder of the highway is a dangerous place. There is often very little room between the shoulder where cars are stopped and the lanes of traffic where vehicles are traveling at high rates of speed. Safety advocates say to only use the shoulder in a true emergency. In most cases, it is better to try to exit the highway and find a safer place to stop. Sadly, drivers often fail to notice cars on the side of the road, and these incidents are fairly common.
Responders who arrive at the scene of highway wrecks understand the risks of being on the side of the road. Laws exist to try to protect first responders in these scenarios by making drivers move over and slow down to avoid getting too close to the vehicles on the side of the road. Even vehicles with flashing lights are not always protected. In many cases, the issue is likely distracted drivers who fail to pay attention to the emergency situation on the roadside.
If you do have to pull onto the shoulder, it is typically best to stay in the car rather than walking near the flow of traffic. In the rare emergency, when it is necessary to exit the vehicle, for example, if the car is on fire, exit on the side farthest from the flow of traffic.
Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.
Sources:https://www.wmbfnews.com/2020/02/19/troopers-investigate-deadly-crash-dillon-county/?outputType=amp and https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-london/state-police-dont-stop-on-highway-shoulders-if-you-can-avoid-it/ and https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/move-over-law/