Kershaw County, SC — August 10, 2024, Jalen Benjamin was killed and two were injured following an 18-wheeler accident at around 11:40 a.m. on I-20.
According to initial statements from the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the crash happened along eastbound lanes of the interstate near mile marker 93, outside of Camden.
It appears that 29-year-old Jalen Benjamin was in a Ford pickup traveling along I-20 when he and other motorists stopped due to traffic. As they did so, however, an 18-wheeler reportedly failed to slow down and crashed into the traffic. The truck hit Benjamin’s vehicle first, ultimately killing Benjamin. At least two others involved were taken to the hospital.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Currently, the exact cause of the crash is unclear, and no charges or citations have been reported. While anything is possible, and even unavoidable factors like a mechanical defect or a medical emergency should be considered, it’s rare this sort of thing happens without the truck driver making a huge mistake. Even if that evidence comes to light, though, it’s important investigations delve beyond the truck driver’s actions alone. In my experience, a serious truck accident caused by a negligent driver often involves a negligent employer who made mistakes long before the driver ever got behind the wheel.
For example, I had a case not long ago involving a truck driver who caused a serious accident after being behind the wheel for over 20 hours straight. Authorities saw fit to hold the driver accountable, but that’s where their investigations ended. As we dug into things, though, it turned out the driver’s employer outright encouraged that reckless behavior. They set ludicrous deadlines for drivers to meet, and the ones who were reckless and cut corners to meet those deadlines got more work. Drivers who took the time to be safe would be passed over for new work, meaning they either had to find somewhere else to work, or they had to start being reckless, as well. It was all but inevitable this would get people hurt, but the company just didn’t give a damn because they figured if a driver screwed up, they could just let them take all the heat while they continued on as normal.
That’s why accidents like this are rarely ever simple or straight-forward. It’s possible for some reckless individual to cause a crash like this, sure. But with commercial trucks, there are so many other factors at play that typical police investigations, which tend to be narrow in scope, may overlook something important. That’s why I have to wonder if more experienced investigators are handling things here to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. At the end of the day, seeing accountability for a family’s loss means ensuring all responsible parties answer for their actions.
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