 |
| 40-year-old Nathaniel Deaton of Martinsburg, Indiana, died at the scene |
I-77 Road Worker Killed When Lift Struck by 18-Wheeler
Authorities say an Indiana construction worker driving a lift has been killed after it was struck by an 18-wheeler on Interstate 77 in South Carolina.
June 20, 2018
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. (AP) —
Authorities say an Indiana construction worker driving a lift has been killed after it was struck by an 18-wheeler on Interstate 77 in South Carolina.
Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. David Jones said the lift was in the roadway as part of a project on a bridge at exit 27 near Blythewood when it was hit around 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Jones says a special team of troopers is investigating and hasn't determined if the construction zone was properly marked or if any charges will be issued for the tractor-trailer's driver. The truck was hauling cows.
The crashed closed the southbound lanes of I-77 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Columbia for several hours. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says 40-year-old Nathaniel Deaton of Martinsburg, Indiana, died at the scene.
==========================
Published: Jun 20th, 2018
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say an Indiana construction worker driving a lift has been killed after it was struck by an 18-wheeler on Interstate 77 in South Carolina.
Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. David Jones said the lift was in the roadway as part of a project on a bridge at exit 27 near Blythewood when it was hit around 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Jones says a special team of troopers is investigating and hasn't determined if the construction zone was properly marked or if any charges will be issued for the tractor-trailer's driver. The truck was hauling cows.
The crashed closed the southbound lanes of I-77 about 20 miles north of Columbia for several hours.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says 40-year-old Nathaniel Deaton of Martinsburg, Indiana, died at the scene.
===========================
A two-year project to widen 7 miles of Interstate 77 north in Columbia started on Monday.
The construction will take place between the I-20 and Percival Road interchanges and go all the way to Blythewood Road. According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the goals of the construction project are to improve safety, rebuild and resurface the aging interstate and its bridges and reduce traffic congestion.
The widening includes the two-lane stretch of I-77 between the S.C. 277 exit and the Interstate 20 interchange in Columbia.
The project includes expanding about a dozen bridges and resurfacing a crumbling 5-mile stretch of the freeway north of the widening.
The SC DOT said construction on the $88 million project is scheduled to last through July 2018.
The DOT also says both that lanes of I-77 should stay open during the day to minimize delays. The majority of work in this area will be done at night. Drivers traveling through the construction zone are asked to be aware of equipment and crews working close to traffic at all times.
The long-planned work is being done with state money, not money from Richland County’s transportation penny sales tax revenue.