Trucker charged after hitting Columbia fire truck responding to crash on I-20

A truck driver was charged after his tractor-trailer sideswiped a Columbia fire truck responding to a crash on Interstate 20 Wednesday, according to troopers.

The crash happened Wednesday morning in the westbound lanes of I-20 near Two Notch Road, according to the Columbia Fire Department.

Four fire fighters on a ladder truck were arriving at a crash in the left lane of I-20, according to Mike DeSumma, Columbia Fire Department spokesman. The ladder truck driver was slowing down and maneuvering the truck to protect the crash scene when a tractor-trailer came through and clipped the side of the fire truck.

The tractor trailer was traveling behind the fire truck and tried to move over as the fire truck slowed down, but clipped the ladder truck with his trailer, said Lance Cpl. David Jones of the S.C. Highway Patrol.

The truck driver was charged with driving too fast for conditions, Jones said.

Pictures posted to the fire department’s Twitter page show damage to the front left side of the cabin, with the driver’s door barely attached and the airbags deployed. All four firefighters were taken to a hospital for examination and have been released, officials say.

DeSumma said it’s not uncommon for drivers to not slow down as they pass firefighters working an emergency scene. A South Carolina law requires drivers to move over or slow down while passing emergency vehicles that are stopped on a roadside with lights flashing, with violators facing a fine of up to $500.

“We can’t stress it enough — slow down,” he said. “If you see our trucks out there and they’ve got their lights on and they’re slowing down, please slow down.”

This story was originally published March 6, 2019 at 1:50 PM.