Two dead in fiery crash near Hartsville
HARTSVILLE, S.C. –
Two people are dead after a fiery Tuesday night crash on North Marquis Highway involving a car and an 18-wheeler.
A black Mercury Milan four-door crashed into the 18-wheeler at the intersection of the highway and Swift Creek Road. The Mercury became pinned beneath the truck, which ran off the roadway, dragging the car, and stopped in a field. The Mercury came to a stop upside down beneath the truck. The two vehicles then erupted into flames.
Darlington County Coroner J. Todd Hardee identified the two victims as Romar Barlow, 27, and Emily Jackson, 22, both of Hartsville. Initially, Hardee said the Mercury was so mangled that further investigation was necessary to make sure no one else was in the car.
The driver of the truck walked away from the crash, even though the cab was badly damaged. The 18-wheeler's motor was ripped from the frame, coming to rest about 10 feet away.
The 18-wheeler was traveling south on North Marquis Highway when the Mercury “disregarded a stop sign” while traveling east on Swift Creek Road, said Cpl. Sonny Collins with the S.C. Highway Patrol. The driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. No charges are expected to be filed since the Mercury is considered the at-fault vehicle.
The man who called 911 said he saw the Mercury run the stop sign. Fire erupted shortly after the crash, when the man said fuel began leaking from one or both vehicles. He parked his truck in the middle of the highway to block unsuspecting motorists. He said he called 911 at 7:19 p.m.
Hartsville Fire Department, Hartsville Rescue Squad, Hartsville Police Department, Darlington County Sheriff's Office and the S.C. Highway Patrol responded to the collision. North Marquis Highway was blocked in both directions while crews worked.
Autopsies for the two deceased will be performed in Newberry, likely on Thursday, Hardee said.
The fatal collision marked the second in four days in the Hartsville area. Thirty-five-year-old Jerry Mitchell of Hartsville died Saturday after crashing his motorcycle into a car during a parade on Sixth Street. Mitchell died soon after the crash.
Two people are dead after a fiery Tuesday night crash on North Marquis Highway involving a car and an 18-wheeler.
A black Mercury Milan four-door crashed into the 18-wheeler at the intersection of the highway and Swift Creek Road. The Mercury became pinned beneath the truck, which ran off the roadway, dragging the car, and stopped in a field. The Mercury came to a stop upside down beneath the truck. The two vehicles then erupted into flames.
Darlington County Coroner J. Todd Hardee identified the two victims as Romar Barlow, 27, and Emily Jackson, 22, both of Hartsville. Initially, Hardee said the Mercury was so mangled that further investigation was necessary to make sure no one else was in the car.
The driver of the truck walked away from the crash, even though the cab was badly damaged. The 18-wheeler's motor was ripped from the frame, coming to rest about 10 feet away.
The 18-wheeler was traveling south on North Marquis Highway when the Mercury “disregarded a stop sign” while traveling east on Swift Creek Road, said Cpl. Sonny Collins with the S.C. Highway Patrol. The driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. No charges are expected to be filed since the Mercury is considered the at-fault vehicle.
The man who called 911 said he saw the Mercury run the stop sign. Fire erupted shortly after the crash, when the man said fuel began leaking from one or both vehicles. He parked his truck in the middle of the highway to block unsuspecting motorists. He said he called 911 at 7:19 p.m.
Hartsville Fire Department, Hartsville Rescue Squad, Hartsville Police Department, Darlington County Sheriff's Office and the S.C. Highway Patrol responded to the collision. North Marquis Highway was blocked in both directions while crews worked.
Autopsies for the two deceased will be performed in Newberry, likely on Thursday, Hardee said.
The fatal collision marked the second in four days in the Hartsville area. Thirty-five-year-old Jerry Mitchell of Hartsville died Saturday after crashing his motorcycle into a car during a parade on Sixth Street. Mitchell died soon after the crash.