Tragic Crash Leaves Pedestrian Dead in Berkeley County, South Carolina (SC)

ST. STEPHEN, SC- Counton2.com writes that a deadly pedestrian collision was reported in Berkeley County this week. The incident took place in the evening on Highway 35 when a northbound pickup truck collided with a pedestrian as the victim attempted to cross the street.*

The incident also caused a Toyota Corolla to swerve to avoid the first incident. The Corolla struck a mailbox. Reports indicate that another car also struck the victim after the first impact. The pedestrian died at the scene of the crash. The authorities later identified the victim as a 61-year-old man. So far, no charges have been filed in relation to the collision.

Pedestrian deaths are trending upwards in South Carolina. According to a state report, 1,144 people have died on the Palmetto State’s roads between 2008 and 2017. South Carolina was determined to be the tenth most dangerous state for pedestrians. In 2013, 100 fatal pedestrian crashes were reported in the state. By 2017, that number had climbed to 154. In the course of the last ten years, the report states that pedestrian deaths increased by a huge margin of 52.5 percent. 

Fatal pedestrian crashes are increasing in all parts of the country, but the rate at which they are rising in the state is faster than the national numbers. In the last ten years, the United States has seen 35.4 percent more deadly pedestrian crashes. The state could take steps to better protect its vulnerable road users. The report suggests that South Carolina should be taking part in a Complete Streets program in order to reduce the number of traffic deaths and to design safer roadways. 

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.counton2.com/news/local-news/berkeley-county-news/pedestrian-killed-while-crossing-highway-35-in-berkeley-county-sc-highway-patrol-says/

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/pedestrian-killed-after-being-hit-by-2-cars-in-berkeley-county

https://smartgrowthamerica.org/app/uploads/2019/06/Dbd2019_State_SC.pdf