Large Truck Strikes and Kills Pedestrian in Sumpter, South Carolina (SC)

SUMPTER, SC- Wach.com writes that a pedestrian was killed this week in a crash with a tractor-trailer. The victim was attempting to cross Highway 76, which is a four-lane highway. The incident occurred in the late evening near the location where Miller Road turns into a frontage road.*

The authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Police did not file any charges against the truck driver who struck the individual. 

The South Carolina Department of Transportation writes that the state has some of the worst numbers when it comes to pedestrian safety. SCDOT writes that in 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that indicated the state had jumped from the sixth deadliest state for pedestrians to the third. The rate of pedestrian deaths in South Carolina was one and a half times as high as the average for the United States as a whole. 

While South Carolina has made its way up on the list of deadliest places for pedestrians, the national number of pedestrians killed has also continued to rise. In 2018, 6,283 people died in these crashes, making that year deadlier than any since 1990.

The NHTSA reminds drivers to be looking for pedestrians whenever they are on the road. It is important that motorists use caution and never drive drunk or distracted, or above the speed limit. In places where children might be present, such as school zones, drivers need to slow down to meet the lower speed limits in these locations. 

Pedestrians can also take steps to protect themselves, such as using crosswalks and being predictable when walking near or across the road. 

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 a 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://wach.com/news/local/pedestrian-crossing-four-lane-highway-killed-by-tractor-trailer

https://www.scdot.org/projects/bikeped-safety.aspx#:~:text=For%202015%20South%20Carolina's%20pedestrian,for%20the%20entire%20United%20States.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety