Garbage Truck Strikes Pedestrian on US 501 in Horry County, South Carolina (SC)

HORRY COUNTY, SC- Wbtw.com writes that a pedestrian suffered injuries in a crash involving a garbage truck in Horry County. The victim was injured in the incident, and the driver reportedly left the scene.* 

The crash occurred at the intersection of US 501 and Intercoastal Waterway Bridge in the morning. Responders transported the victim to the hospital. It is not clear how severely the pedestrian was injured in the incident. 

The driver who left the crash site is now facing charges for committing a hit-and-run. The suspect is a 63-year-old man from Conway. Reports did not state which company the driver works for, but police confirmed that it was a commercial sanitation vehicle. 

Trucks are dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, and yet, they are permitted on the road in busy urban locations throughout the United States. Just a few years ago, London moved to prohibit most trucks from operating within the city limits. Such moves might be beneficial in American cities as well. 

Researchers indicate that the rate of pedestrians and cyclists killed by large trucks is not proportionate to the number of such vehicles on the road. Statistically, eleven percent of cyclists killed die in crashes with trucks, even though these large vehicles only account for four percent of all automobiles on the road. The numbers are even worse in some locations, such as New York City, where nearly one-third of cyclists are killed by trucks, as well as one in eight pedestrians. 

One of the major factors is blind spots, which are massive for large trucks. Drivers in these vehicles do not have the same visibility as people in cars, and the result is that they are more of a danger to vulnerable road users. 

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://www.wbtw.com/crime/grand-strand-crime/troopers-conway-man-charged-with-hit-and-run-after-pedestrian-hit-with-garbage-truck/

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/10/31/why-american-trucks-are-so-deadly-for-pedestrians-and-cyclists/