Car Strikes and Kills Pedestrian in Newberry County, South Carolina

NEWBERRY COUNTY, SC- Wistv.com writes that a driver struck and killed a pedestrian this week. The man was rushed via life flight to a Richland County hospital, where he died a few days following the wreck. The coroner has now identified the victim as a 45-year-old man from Newberry County.*

The incident took place on Interstate 26 close to the exit for SC Highway 773 in the very early morning before sunrise. The victim and another individual were both standing behind a disabled 1997 Chevrolet SUV, which had been pulling a trailer. A 2015 Ford Mustang driving westbound struck both of the pedestrians and their disabled car. 

The other injured victim is expected to survive his injuries. Police are still investigating the incident. 

According to the safety experts, when a driver’s car breaks down on a busy roadway, it is best to stay inside of that car and call for help. Drivers may find this advice to be counterintuitive, and many people choose to exit their car following a breakdown or a crash. The problem is that when these incidents take place close to the flow of traffic, drivers who get out of their cars are putting themselves at risk of being struck by another motorist. Even when staying inside of a car, the occupants should remain buckled up to ensure they are as well protected as possible. 

There are a few exceptions, for instance, if the car catches on fire. In this situation, it might not be possible to stay in the vehicle, and exiting should be done on the side farthest from the flow of traffic when possible. 

Of course, for drivers who approach the site of such an emergency, it is important to give the disabled car plenty of space to avoid these types of tragic 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/2020/03/05/man-killed-after-being-hit-by-car-i-newberry-county-identified/?outputType=amp and https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/morris/rockaway-township/2017/07/05/vehicle-disabled-highway-dont-get-out/453784001/