Tractor-Trailer Strikes Pedestrian on Interstate 20 in South Carolina (SC)
SOUTH CAROLINA- Wfxg.com writes that a pedestrian was struck by a large truck on Interstate 20 this week in the westbound lanes. The crash led to road closures in the vicinity, which was about two and a half miles from Exit 6-Interstate 520. Details regarding the victim are not yet available. *
South Carolina does not rank well when it comes to deadly pedestrian crashes. One recent study found that the Palmetto State comes in fourth in terms of states with the highest numbers of pedestrian deaths. The states that performed worse than South Carolina included Florida, Delaware, and New Mexico. Beyond South Carolina, pedestrians are dying in larger numbers across the United States. Experts now believe that 2019 was the deadliest year in more than three decades when it comes to fatal pedestrian collisions.
The reasons for the higher number of deaths in recent years include the weather, which has been warmer, drug and alcohol use, the popularity of bigger cars and SUVs, and the prevalence of cellphones and related distractions. Most of these incidents are occurring after dark. Between 2009 and 2018, the number of fatal pedestrian crashes to occur at night increased by 67 percent. Meanwhile, daytime also crashes rose, but by sixteen percent. The reason for this may be that with warmer weather, people are out more, especially at night. When people are out at night, alcohol is often involved, which also could be leading to a higher risk of collisions.
While some states are seeing steep rises in pedestrian deaths, others are managing to lower the number of such crashes. A few states saw significant drops in fatal pedestrian crashes, while others have seen their numbers dropping consistently for two years.
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.wfxg.com/story/41971360/all-lanes-blocked-on-i20w-near-mile-marker-8-after-crash-in-south-carolina
https://wpde.com/news/local/survey-ranks-south-carolina-4-in-states-with-most-pedestrian-deaths-10-30-2019
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/27/health/pedestrian-fatalties-rise-trnd/index.html