Larry Capps, Crystal Ward, Bobby Gathings Killed in Truck Accident near Bucksport, SC

Update (February 21, 2025): Authorities have identified the people killed in this truck accident as Larry Dean Capps, 56; Crystal Ward, 47; and Bobby Gathings, 38. No additional information about the crash is available at this time.

Horry County, SC — February 10, 2025, three people were killed in a truck accident at about 11:55 a.m. on U.S. Route 701 near Bucksport.

Authorities said a northbound 2004 Dodge pickup collided head-on with a 2021 Kenworth semi-truck near Pee Dee Highway/State Road S-26-24.

All three occupants of the Dodge pickup were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public at this time.

The driver of the logging truck was not injured, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the crash at this point. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Head-on collisions between passenger vehicles and semi-trucks almost always result in devastating consequences, but the real question in a case like this is why the pickup ended up in the path of the truck. While some might assume driver error was the cause, experience has shown me that these crashes often have more to them than meets the eye.

One of the first things investigators should look at is whether the pickup driver lost control due to road conditions, a mechanical failure or even another vehicle’s actions. Did the truck drift into the pickup’s lane, or was the pickup forced to swerve to avoid something else? Reviewing skid marks, roadway design and any available dashcam or traffic camera footage will be critical to piecing this together.

Another key issue is visibility and road design. Was this a two-lane highway with little room for error? Did a curve, hill or obstructed sightline make it harder for drivers to see oncoming traffic? If this stretch of road has a history of similar wrecks, then road design might be just as much a factor as driver behavior.

There’s also the question of the semi-truck’s response. A fully loaded logging truck is difficult to maneuver, but did the driver have any chance to avoid the crash? Trucking companies are required to train their drivers in defensive driving techniques and reviewing the truck’s ECM data could help determine whether the driver had time to react.

At this point, there’s no way to say for certain what caused this crash, but one thing is clear: a full investigation needs to go beyond the immediate wreckage. If authorities only look at the crash scene without digging deeper into the circumstances leading up to it, they may miss critical details that determine who is accountable.