Head-On Wreck Kills Three On Henderson Highway in Colleton County, South Carolina (SC)

COLLETON COUNTY, SC- Counton2.com writes that a crash killed three people this week on Henderson Highway in Colleton County. The incident took place in the afternoon when, according to reports, a minivan was heading north and speeding when it veered across the center line while rounding a curve and entered oncoming traffic.*

The Honda minivan and a Mercedes that was traveling southbound collided head-on. The minivan overturned and ignited. The Mercedes also rolled and was severely damaged. 

The driver of the Honda, identified as a nineteen-year-old man, was thrown from the vehicle. A police deputy was near the location of the crash and responded quickly to the scene. That officer was able to extinguish the flames before the fire department arrived. 

Police arrived to find that the three victims were all dead at the scene. 

A woman and a man were in the Mercedes at the time of the crash and had to be extracted from the severely damaged car. Their identities have not been disclosed at this time. 

The highway remained closed for several hours while the South Carolina Highway Patrol carried out an investigation. 

Tragic collisions are not uncommon in South Carolina, which one recent study ranked as the third-worst state in the country for deadly crashes. Mississippi and Alabama were the only states to outrank the Palmetto State in terms of death rates per capita. At least part of the problem is likely that South Carolina has lax laws when it comes to distracted driving. Few tickets are issued, and even those that are come with a relatively low minimum fine of just $25 dollars. The state has a law banning texting and driving, and yet, without a ban on handheld devices, the law is not easy to enforce. 

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.counton2.com/news/local-news/colleton-county-news/driver-ejected-three-dead-following-head-on-crash-in-colleton-county/

https://www.wistv.com/story/38030136/sc-ranked-no-3-deadliest-state-for-fatal-car-crashes-study-says/