Lexington, SC — May 20, 2024, Jon Douglas Ratcliffe was killed after a van accident at around 7:15 a.m. on Industrial Drive.
According to initial details about the crash, it happened in the area of Industrial Drive and South Lake Drive, just north of I-20.
Investigators said that 45-year-old Jon Ratcliffe was on a motorcycle going along Industrial. Ratcliffe reportedly stopped behind a school bus that stopped to pick up students. As they waited, an approaching white panel van reportedly did not slow down in time, crashing into Ratcliffe and the school bus. Ratcliffe died as a result.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
The van driver is accused of driving without a license and reportedly facing numerous charges. If that’s true, it raises a serious question: Was this person working for an employer? The van I’ve seen in pictures appears to be a work van. If it’s true that the driver had no license, was there an employer who knew or should have known that? Is there a local business allowing reckless drivers to operate in the community? Could there be others working with this driver also at risk of causing a fatal crash?
A lot of times with deadly accidents like this, people see authorities file charges, and they figure that’s the end of the story. Well, I’ve litigated hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases. It would surprise people to see how often a deadly crash isn’t just the result of a single driver’s mistake. It’s often a driver’s mistake and an employer encouraging that reckless behavior or ignoring clear red flags that a more responsible employer would address before people got hurt. I have to wonder if something similar happened here that authorities have yet to bring to light.
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