Fatal accident also injures South Carolina police officer

On July 6, a Dillon city police officer was driving his patrol car in Little Rock on Highway 9 en route to provide backup for a deputy with the Dillon County Sheriff’s Department. At the intersection of Harlees Bridge Road and Highway 9, a Mitsubishi sedan crashed into the patrol car, which then caught fire.

The accident occurred just two minutes after the officer received the call for backup from the Dillon County 911 Communications Center. The call came in at 2:13 a.m. regarding a fight in progress at a local nightclub, and the crash was at 2:15 a.m., according to dispatchers.

The 22-year-old driver of the Mitsubishi and two of her passengers suffered injuries in the accident and were transported to local hospitals. According to SCHP and the Dillon County Coroner, a 29-year-old Pembroke woman, who was also a passenger in the Mitsubishi, did not survive the accident. The officer was also transported to a Florence hospital and was listed in serious condition after undergoing surgery.

The preliminary report from the SCHP Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team showed that the injured officer did not cause the fatal crash. The report did show that the Mitsubishi driver was a contributor, but the incident was still under investigation so no other details were provided.

Nationwide, car accidents are the most common cause of injuries and death, and many of these accidents occur because of some type of driver negligence, such as cellphone use or intoxication. When someone suffers injuries because of a negligent driver, he or she could choose to file a civil claim to hold that driver accountable. Normally, such claims are resolved through out-of-court settlements after negotiations take place.

Source: Carolina Live, “Dillon officer crashed minutes after being dispatched to help fellow officer,” Tonya Brown, July 7, 2014

Source: Carolina Live, “Preliminary investigation shows Dillon police officer not at fault in deadly accident,” Tonya Brown, July 10, 2014

Source: Carolina Live, “Dillon city police officer involved in wreck“, Tonya Brown, July 07, 2014