Police Report that Victim in Tragic Interstate 20 Crash was an Instructor at Benedict College

COLUMBIA, SC- Wistv.com writes that a teacher from Benedict College was killed in a fiery collision this week on Interstate 20. The incident took place in the early afternoon close to the exit for Two Notch Road.*

The drivers involved in the wreck were both traveling the same way when the victim lost control of his car and crashed into a guardrail before colliding with the trailer of the truck. Reports now indicate that the man who died was a 64-year-old instructor who taught business courses at Benedict College. The victim had been a teacher at the school for the past eighteen years. The school released a statement expressing their condolences. The college is offering grief counselors to the community throughout the rest of the semester. 

According to the reports, the incident was an underriding crash. Semis now have rails on the back of their trailers, but this was not always the case. The rails were added as a measure to protect drivers on the road from crashing underneath the trailer. Studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicate that the rails are effective at preventing smaller vehicles from sliding beneath the trailer in a crash that often results in death. In many cases, the occupants are decapitated. 

While the rails are on the rear of the truck, they are not required on the side of trailers. The IIHS says that placing these devices on trucks would save lives. Safety advocates deem the proposed measure to be common sense in an effort to prevent the hundred of people killed every year in underriding wrecks. 

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/2020/02/20/person-killed-fiery-crash-i-was-teacher-benedict-college/ 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/#5108405c7d25