Police Officer Recovering After Tragic Crash on Don Holt Bridge in Charleston County, South Carolina (SC)

CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC- Counton2.com writes that a crash in Charleston County that left a police officer suffering from severe injuries. Updates indicate that the injured deputy has been transferred to a different facility. Originally, the injured officer was taken to the Shepard Center.*

On the day of the crash, the officer had arrived on the scene of an earlier incident. A tow truck was also on-site and was helping to move a disabled car from the Don Holt Bridge. Another car struck the police car and the tow truck. The impact pushed the tow truck driver over the side of the bridge, killing the man. The deputy sustained a severe head injury and broke multiple bones. The original reports on the crash stated that a pickup truck collided with the officer’s car and the tow truck. The tow driver was missing after the incident but later determined to have died in the crash. The Coast Guard worked on a rescue operation in search of the victim. 

The tragic crash highlights the importance of Georgia’s Move Over Law. The law states that when drivers approach a vehicle on the side of the road that has flashing lights activated, the driver must move one lane over to give those vehicles space. In some cases, moving over will not be possible because of traffic or limited lanes. In those cases, drivers still must slow down significantly to minimize the risk to the people on the side of the road. 

Failing to abide by the Move Over Law will result in fines of up to $500. Of course, the consequences of violating this law can be far more severe than any fine. Studies indicate that more police officers are killed in the line of duty because of traffic accidents than they are because of any other cause. 

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/charleston-county-news/ccso-deputy-mike-costanzo-continues-recovery-following-serious-crash-on-the-don-holt-bridge/

https://www.counton2.com/news/local-news/crash-on-the-don-holt-bridge-blocks-all-westbound-lanes/

https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/highway-safety/move-over-law/#:~:text=The%20Georgia%20Move%20Over%20Law,to%20be%20prepared%20to%20stop.