Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – A tractor trailer truck struck the bridge abutment on I-20 west near the 57 mile-marker or the Cedarcrest Drive overpass Sunday afternoon. The truck reportedly burst into flames shortly after the collision. According to the SCHP, the fire quickly engulfed the cab of the truck after the driver was ejected. .
Lexington County EMS and the fire service were dispatched to the collision that completely closed I-20 for a period. Units from Lexington County reported that at least one person had perished as a result of the collision and fire. When first responders arrived, they reported the truck was fully engulfed and asked that the entire interstate between South Lake Drive and Augusta Road be closed while they battled the blaze.
At 6:00 p.m. Sunday, I-20 was completely stopped, and law enforcement officers were trying to set up detours for motorist. Some fire and EMS personnel were having difficulty accessing the collision due to the gridlocked traffic. Fire service commanders were trying to direct water tanker trucks and additional personnel into the scene. Those resources were having to run the wrong direction on the interstate in closed lanes in order to get to the collision and fire.
Because the collision was underneath the interstate overpass, there may be some damage that would have to be assessed by an engineer. If the fire did damage the bridge, both I-20 and Cedarcrest Drive could be closed for an extended period of time.
We will attempt to update this story as quickly as possible. Until further notice, motorists are urged to avoid I-20.
