Tractor trailer truck jackknifes, car goes off the road blocking one lane of I-20 west near Lexingto

Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – A car went off the road and a tractor trailer truck jackknifed on I-20 west around the 59 mm and Lexington early Wednesday morning. Lexington County’s EMS and fire service were dispatched around 4:30 a.m. after a passing motorist called to report the accident. Law enforcement officers also received the call at about the same time.

As often happens, motorists who were reporting the wreck were at first confused about which direction the accident was in. It was first reported on the eastbound side causing first responders to be dispatched from one direction. Another caller said it was in the westbound lanes and the county’s communications center dispatched another station from the opposite direction. Once they located the crash site in the westbound direction, the firefighters found the driver of the truck was trapped in its cab. It took them a short time to extricate that victim before turning him over to EMS who then transported him to a local medical center for treatment.

At 4:49 a.m., Lexington County EMS and fire units were clearing the scene so as not to impede the traffic that was at a standstill. Lexington police officers were reporting the west side of I-20 was shut down for a short time and all traffic was being detoured onto Sunset Boulevard. At 5:30 a.m. they were tweeting that one lane had been reopened and the Sunset detour was no longer needed.

The wreckage was left in the hands of the SC Highway Patrol who had called for recovery vehicles to remove the vehicles and reopen the interstate. They are investigating the cause of the wreck.