Orangeburg County, SC — December 19, 2023, three people were killed as the result of a tractor-trailer accident at around 6:00 p.m. along U.S. Highway 301.
According to preliminary details in the news, the accident happened at the intersection of Cross Creek Drive and U.S. 301 southeast of the city.
Reports aren’t clear, but the Mustang was traveling along US 301, when a collision occurred with a tractor-trailer that was on Cross Creek Drive. No further details are available about the crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
There are people who will nitpick any report in the media and most of the time, that’s not warranted. With that being said, from where I sit, the reporting on this crash leaves a lot to be desired. To be clear, I’m not blaming the media coverage for not presenting all the details of what occurred in this crash. I know from my own experience litigating truck accident cases that crash scenes can be very complex and require a meticulous investigation to determine exactly what happened.
My concern is that every report I’ve come across regarding this accident leaves out key context that you don’t need an investigation to determine. For instance, if current reports are correct, and there’s no reason to doubt that they are, then the tractor-trailer had a stop sign at the intersection of US 301 and Cross Creek Drive. That may seem like a minor detail, but the fact is people want to know why a crash occurred and who is likely to blame. When one driver has a stop sign and another doesn’t, which appears to be the case here, it’s important to note that and ask what the driver with the stop sign was doing in the roadway at the time of the collision. It’s certainly suspicious that every report I’ve come across leaves out that crucial detail. Now, I’m not alleging anything conspiratorial, but like the rest of us, reporters have good days and bad days, but the news reports on this crash are disturbingly incomplete.
It’s always concerning when the news seems to be going out of its way not to ask the hard questions. This is an accident where three people died. I’ve seen how accidents like these affect families and almost to a person, their main concerns are to find out what happened to their loved ones and then to make sure that no other family has to go through what they’re experiencing. How is anyone supposed to be held accountable when those who are supposed to ask the tough questions in the media won’t even do their jobs or apply a little common sense to ask probing questions?
If this intersection needs a stoplight, that’s a decision that only an informed public can make. If there’s someone who needs to be held accountable because they were careless or broke a law, that’s something the public needs to know about, too.
But based upon the interest the news has taken in the story, this crash is just one of those things where three people died. That doesn’t sit right with me.
