Two Critically Injured in Loris Dump Truck Accident
The collision occurred on East Highway 9 near Cedar Branch Road, trapping occupants inside the wreckage
Two people were critically injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a dump truck on East Highway 9 near Cedar Branch Road in Loris, South Carolina, on Wednesday, April 15, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.
The impact trapped the occupants. Emergency crews performed extrication operations to remove the victims from the wreckage.
First responders transported both individuals to a hospital for treatment of critical injuries.
The collision blocked Little River-bound traffic lanes. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash with assistance from the Loris Fire Department.
According to the National Safety Council, 114,552 large trucks were involved in injury crashes nationwide in 2023.
What happens next in the Highway 9 dump truck investigation?
Victims of commercial vehicle crashes often face a long road to recovery, dealing with severe pain and mounting medical bills.
"It's frightening how much space a semi-truck needs to stop when you're traveling at highway speeds," said Candice Bond, Managing Partner at Bond Legal. "A fully loaded truck needs over five hundred feet to come to a halt, which is nearly two full football fields."
While the South Carolina Highway Patrol works to determine liability, commercial trucking companies often deploy their own investigators to the scene immediately.
How do commercial regulations factor into the Loris crash?
A crash of this magnitude affects not just the victims, but the broader community that relies on safe local roadways.
"I've seen families blindsided by the news of a semi-truck collision," said Stefano Formica, Of Bond Legal"Federal rules don't allow more than eleven hours of driving, yet electronic logs often reveal drivers were pushed past their limits."
South Carolina follows a modified comparative fault (51% bar) system. The statute of limitations is three years.
Damages include economic and non-economic losses.