Thursday morning brought a sudden interruption to the steady movement of traffic along Interstate 95 in South Carolina, where a major chain-reaction crash left a long stretch of the highway blocked. What began as collisions on a busy interstate quickly became a large emergency response involving dozens of vehicles, including heavy trucks, while authorities worked to reach those caught in the wreckage.
The pileup occurred Thursday morning in Orangeburg County, involving about 50 vehicles. Officials said 15 of the vehicles were 18-wheelers, underscoring the scale and complexity of the crash for emergency crews responding to the scene.
The collision blocked all lanes of I-95 between approximately mile markers 97.5 and 102. With the interstate fully obstructed, drivers were unable to continue through the affected section as authorities began managing the scene and assessing the damage.
About 11 people were injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to the service district cited in initial reports. The available reports did not indicate that the injuries were all of the same severity, and officials continued their response as the investigation and cleanup progressed.
The involvement of so many large trucks presented an additional challenge. Eighteen-wheelers occupy considerably more road space than passenger vehicles, and multiple tractor-trailers in a single collision can complicate access for rescuers and recovery crews. Emergency personnel therefore had to work around a large and congested field of damaged vehicles.
Orangeburg County Victim Services was among the agencies present at the scene, alongside the sheriff's office and other emergency personnel. Their involvement reflected the broader response required when a crash affects a large number of motorists at once.
As the interstate remained blocked, the incident also carried consequences for motorists traveling through the region. I-95 is a major north-south transportation corridor, and a closure of several miles can quickly alter travel patterns for people moving through South Carolina.
Authorities continued working to clear the highway and determine the circumstances surrounding the collision. Early reporting established the scale of the crash and the number of reported injuries, but further details about exactly how the chain reaction began remained subject to investigation.
For those caught in the pileup, Thursday's journey became something far different from an ordinary highway trip. The focus now rests on caring for the injured, clearing the interstate and establishing what led dozens of vehicles to become involved in one of South Carolina's largest traffic incidents of the day.
AI Image Disclaimer: Any accompanying visual is an AI-generated illustration created to represent the reported traffic incident and is not an actual photograph from the crash scene.
Sources: WCSC / Live 5 News Gray News WTVY KCRG
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