‘Miraculously survived’ Semi-truck hits tree in high-speed crash, driver evacuated by helicopter

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) — A man was airlifted in critical condition after the semi-truck pulling a trailer of fiberglass he was driving struck a tree at high speed on Monday.

Monday afternoon, the semi-truck left the roadway on I-95 near mile marker 40 southbound at a high rate of speed, Colleton County Fire-Rescue said. The Freightliner pulling a 53′ trailer then went down an embankment before striking a large pine tree in the median.

The collision was reported initially in Colleton County, but officials say it occurred just south of the border in Hampton County. Emergency crews from both Colleton and Hampton counties responded to the wreck.

Responders explained that the fiberglass trailer broke apart, and the fiberglass scattered in the wooded area surrounding the collision site. The truck’s cab wrapped around the tree, leaving the driver trapped 10 feet off the crowd.

“Firefighter-Paramedics used a variety of Holmatro Rescue Tools and a reciprocating saw to gain access to the driver, who had miraculously survived the collision,” Colleton Fire said.

After 15 minutes, the driver was freed but was unconscious and in critical condition.

“The patient required advanced airway care prior to departing the scene,” officials wrote.

A CARE Flight medical helicopter performed a scene landing at the crash site and took the patient to Trident Medical Center in North Charleston.

As crews worked, I-95 southbound at the Combahee River was closed for an hour.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol and Transport Police are investigating this incident.

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