Injuries and traffic jam caused by crash near Columbia’s Malfunction Junction
Drivers heading from downtown Columbia towards Lexington County were stuck in a miles-long traffic jam following a crash Tuesday.
All of the westbound lanes on Interstate 26 were blocked following the collision that happened at about 12:10 p.m., according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
The wreck was near Exit 106 in Lexington County, which is the connection with St. Andrews Road in the area called Malfunction Junction. It’s a about a mile from the Richland County line.
Injuries were reported by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Information on the number of people who were hurt, and their conditions, was not available.
Vehicles were backed up for at least five miles on I-26, traffic cameras showed. There was no word on what caused the collision or the number amount of vehicles involved, but several first responders could be seen on traffic cameras.
It rained on and off and the sky was overcast Tuesday, but there was no indication weather conditions played a role in the collision.
At about 12:50 p.m., SCDOT said all of the lanes had reopened, but there was no word when the scene on I-26 would be cleared.
About an hour prior to the wreck, another collision was reported on the eastbound side of I-26 near Exit 106, according to SCDOT. A disabled vehicle was in the highway, and one lane was closed for about 15 minutes because of that crash.
At 12:53 p.m., the S.C. Department of Public Safety said another crash caused injuries on I-26 eastbound near Exit 106. In spite of the most recent wreck, no lanes were closed on the highway.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 12:51 PM.
