One Tragically Killed in Interstate 20 Wreck in Columbia, South Carolina

COLUMBIA, SC- Wistv.com writes that one person died in a crash on Interstate 20 this week. The collision occurred close to the exit at Two Notch Road. According to police, the incident involved a sedan and a tractor-trailer. The car drifted off the side of the road and then collided with a guardrail. The vehicle then slid into the trailer of the semi-truck, where it went under the taller and larger vehicle.*

Following the impact, the car ignited. The driver in the smaller vehicle died at the scene of the crash. The identity of that individual has not yet been released. The traffic on Interstate 20 was diverted onto SC-277 while responders worked at the crash site. The lanes reopened later in the day. 

Underriding crashes are severe collisions involving a truck and a smaller passenger car. These accidents are the result of the fact that trailers are farther off of the ground than a car and that cars can, therefore, end up driving underneath the truck. Many of the car’s safety features become useless in these situations. The crumple zone on the front of the car may go completely under the truck, and the actual impact will take the top of the car completely off the vehicle. In the process, the occupants are often killed. 

Trucks are equipped with guardrails preventing cars from colliding with the back of a vehicle. Safety advocates have been urging legislators to require side rails on these large vehicles as well. Some studies indicate that by adding side rails, many of these collisions would be less severe, and lives would be saved. The trucking industry is resisting such a change in the law because of the expense. 

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.wistv.com/2020/02/19/collision-i-west-forces-lane-closures/?outputType=amp and https://www.forbes.com/sites/jensen/2017/05/10/new-tests-evaluate-how-well-side-guards-on-semis-do-at-preventing-side-underride-crashes/#17652a267d25