Lexington, SC 06/26/2021 (Paul Kirby) – Several traffic collisions on I-20 forced emergency responders and the SC Highway Patrol to close I-20 to westbound traffic for a time Friday night. The first calls regarding the wrecks began coming in shortly after 9:00 p.m.
The first reported collision was in the west lane at the Sunset Boulevard ramps. Callers told emergency operators that multiple vehicles were involved including a small school bus registered out of the State of Georgia. The SCHP has not said if students were on the bus.
The first arriving supervisor from the fire service quickly recognized the dangerousness of the situation and told his communication center that he was ordering the entire west side of the interstate closed. SC State troopers rushed to the scene and Lexington police officers assisted by closing the ramps at Sunset so no one could get on the interstate in the middle of the catastrophe.

While the first responders, law enforcement officers, and EMS personnel were beginning to untangle that mess, another collision with multiple vehicles was reported closer to mile-marker 62. Callers said that at least one of the units involved was overturned and someone was trapped in the wreckage.
Lexington County’s Emergency Communications Center dispatched additional equipment and ambulances as additional troopers were dispatched to check that collision out. The fire service first confirmed that a number of vehicles were also involved in this wreck and one person couldn’t get free of the wreckage. Firefighters began using extrication tools to cut that person out while other responders checked the people in the remaining vehicles.
Once all the injured had been treated and those that required further evaluation at a medical facility were transported, the fire service and EMS left the scenes in the hands of law enforcement. The interstate stayed closed for some time as troopers worked with multiple towing companies to remove the damaged vehicles from the interstate.

Comments