The worst consequences of any South Carolina motor vehicle accident include severe injuries, property loss and ongoing health and financial challenges for car accident victims. As troubling as those circumstances are, they cannot compare with the heartache of losing a child in a car or truck accident.
A recent fatal tanker truck accident at the intersection of Ballard Road and Highway 29 in Pelzer killed a 17-year-old Anderson County girl. Emergency responders reported that the truck, which was carrying nearly 9,000 gallons of gasoline, struck a two-door Honda carrying a driver and two passengers, all teenagers. The truck and trailer separated before the tanker rolled over onto the shoulder. Anderson County's hazardous materials response team spent hours recovering spilled gasoline while the highway remained closed.
The girl, a student at Palmetto High School, was ejected from the car and suffered multiple serious traumas. She was evacuated by helicopter to Greenville Memorial hospital, where she died later that night. Neither of the other two teenagers suffered serious injuries.
The fatal car/truck accident took place on a Friday evening, and the Anderson County Coroner's office later confirmed that alcohol had played a role in the fatal wreck. Related news soon emerged involving the arrest of multiple liquor store clerks in Williamston who were charged with sale of alcohol to minors.
In the aftermath of any serious motor vehicle crash that causes personal injury or a wrongful death, law enforcement goes to great lengths to identify any criminal activity that caused the accident, including drunk driving, reckless driving and violations of trucking regulations. Just as important, personal injury lawyers help injured clients and surviving family members assess the full extent of civil liability to hold all negligent parties accountable for the harm they caused.
