Personal Injury

8 die in SC crashes over holiday weekend; None local

Four crashes were reported within an hour-and-a-half of one another Sunday on Interstate 77 near Chester County during a Thanksgiving weekend that saw eight people killed on the state’s highways.

Between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday, state troopers responded to four “minor” crashes on I-77 that halted and congested traffic, said Lance Cpl. Billy Elder with the Highway Patrol.

Elder didn’t have details on the accidents but said they were “nothing life-threatening.”

The S.C. Highway Patrol on Monday released preliminary statewide and county-specific statistics on traffic accidents, fatalities, driving under the influence and tickets for Thanksgiving weekend, starting at 6 p.m. Nov. 21 and ending at midnight Sunday.

Statistics for York, Chester and Lancaster counties include:

York County:

• 20 crashes

• 429 citations for seat belt violations, DUI, speeding and drug possession

353 warnings

• 12 DUI cases, including any citations or arrests that could generate a court case.

Chester County:

• 11 crashes

187 citations

• 122 warnings

• 9 DUI cases

Lancaster County:

• 11 crashes

• 108 citations

• 152 warnings

• 4 DUI cases

The Highway Patrol didn’t report any fatalities in the three counties.

Eight people, including two pedestrians and a bicyclist, were killed on South Carolina roads this weekend, officials say. Five of those deaths occurred Friday through Sunday.

Statewide data for 2012 shows that until midnight Sunday, 101 pedestrians, 102 motorcyclists and 13 bicyclists died on state roads and highways.

Six people in Chester County have died in traffic accidents so far this year. The same number of people died last year, a decrease of four victims from 2010.

This year, seven people in Lancaster County have died in a car crash. Thirteen people died within the same time frame last year.

In York County, 23 people have died on the county’s roads this year. In 2011, 30 people died during the same period.

By Sunday, 744 people had died on the state’s highways in 2012. That’s down slightly from 766 who died last year from Jan. 1 to the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/26/4440819/no-fatal-crashes-on-area-roads.html

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

2 die in SUV crash on I-77

AIRFIELD COUNTY — Two people were killed in a wreck on Interstate 77 Friday morning.

The wreck occurred when the driver of a 1974 Chevrolet SUV lost control of the vehicle near mile marker 32 of the interstate’s northbound lane and overturned into the median. Both the male driver and the vehicle’s female passenger were ejected and pronounced dead at the scene, South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers said.

The names of the people have not been released yet by the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office.

The wreck is being investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

2 adults, 1 baby taken to hospitals after York car crash

YORK — Three people were taken to area hospitals Wednesday after a two-car crash in York.

A woman and a baby were in a car on West Old Limestone Road at the Fairhope Road intersection when their car collided with another vehicle around 8 a.m., said York Fire Chief Domenic Manera.

The driver of the other car, a man, was taken by ambulance to Piedmont Medical Center, Manera said. The woman was trapped in her car and had to be extricated. She was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

The baby was also taken to CMC, Manera said.

The accident victim's names and ages were unavailable.

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

Highway Patrol: Mom airlifted in York crash charged with DUI

YORK — A York mother who was airlifted to a Charlotte hospital after she and her baby collided with an oncoming car in York Wednesday morning has been charged with driving under the influence, Highway Patrol officials report.

Shannon McCraw, 34, is charged with driving under the influence, child endangerment, child restraint violations, seat belt violation, failure to register a vehicle, improperly displaying a license and open container, said Lance Cpl. Billy Elder with the Highway Patrol.

McCraw and her 11-month-old son were traveling west on West Old Limestone Road around 8 a.m. when McCraw swerved over the center line of the road and hit Clover's John Dezinney head-on in his 2009 Nissan SUV, Elder said.

Neither McCraw nor her son were properly restrained in seat belts or a car seat, he said.

McCraw was trapped inside her 1997 four-door Chevrolet and had to be extricated, York Fire Chief Domenic Manera said. She and her son were both flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where she's listed in fair condition.

Dezinney, 45, was transported to Piedmont Medical Center by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. Both McCraw and her baby are expected to survive, Elder said.

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

COLUMBIA — Ventrell Jenkins, a Canadian Football League player and a former Midlands high school football standout, was being held Sunday in the Lexington County jail on charges of criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and resisting arrest.

Jenkins’ fiancee, Deidre Hudson, was undergoing treatment for injuries received in the alleged incident but none were life-threatening, Lexington County Sheriff Jimmy Metts said. However, her face was badly beaten “to the point of her being unrecognizable,” an incident report said.

Jenkins, 27, who is 6-2 and weighs 285 pounds, and his pit bull were shot multiple times with Tasers during the incident. Eventually, three deputies needed to subdue him, Metts said. The pit bull finally ran off after biting all three deputies.

An incident report gave the following account:

A deputy arriving at Chelton Court near Irmo shortly after midnight last Wednesday saw Jenkins punching Hudson in the face, all the time saying, “I love you.”

As Hudson lay unconscious on the ground, the deputy fired his Taser at Jenkins, but Jenkins grabbed the Taser. The deputy then drew his pistol, but was immediately bitten on the right calf by a pit bull.

Another deputy arrived, and while he and the first deputy were trying to handcuff Jenkins, the pit bull then bit the second deputy.

Finally, three deputies using three handcuffs and leg restraints managed to subdue Jenkins and drive off the pit bull, which also bit the third deputy.

Jenkins was being held under $110,000 bond.

The pit bull is in the custody of the county animal control unit.

Jenkins, who graduated from Columbia High School, played defensive line for the University of Kentucky and made more than 100 tackles during his career. He played briefly for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills before being dropped. He is currently a player with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/12/4406777/pit-bull-bites-sc-deputies-fighting.html

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

Rock Hill man, 19, dies in crash after car hits tree

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/12/4406347/rock-hill-man-dies-after-car-hits.html

ROCK HILL — A 19-year-old Rock Hill man was killed Sunday night when he was thrown from his car after hitting a tree.

The man, whose name wasn't immediately available, was traveling west on Russell Road around 10:25 p.m. in a 1999 Acura when he ran off the right side of the roadway, said Lance Cpl. Brent Kelly with the Highway Patrol.

He overcorrected, traveling back on the other side of the road, where he struck a tree, Kelly said.

He was ejected from the car, Kelly said, and pronounced dead on the scene. He wasn't wearing a seat belt.

Check back for more details.

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

SC records deadliest weekend on roads in 3 years

This past weekend was the deadliest on South Carolina roads in three years.  Ten people were killed between 6 p.m. Friday and midnight Sunday, the S.C. Department of Public Safety reported. Of those, five were pedestrians, including two men who were killed early Saturday morning when they were struck by a car while fighting in the middle of Two Notch Road.

The weekend fatalities also involved three motorists were not wearing seat belts when they were killed, the public safety department reported. Another person was a motorcyclist, and the 10th person was on a mo-ped.

The last time 10 people were killed in one weekend was in 2009, according to data provided by the Office of Highway Safety, which operates within the public safety department. On the deadliest weekends in 2010 and 2011, eight people were killed, according to the data.

Still, there have been fewer highway fatalities so far this year in comparison to the same period in 2011. So far, 682 have been killed in 2012; 719 were killed in the same period in 2011.

On Tuesday, two people added to the fatality statistics when a motorcyclist and mo-ped driver were killed in separate accidents.

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

2 teens on moped die in SC wreck

SENECA, S.C. — Two teens riding a moped have been killed in a wreck in Oconee County.

Coroner Karl Addis says the wreck happened shortly after 10:30 p.m. Thursday near Seneca.

Addis says a pickup truck collided with the moped.

Addis says 17-year-old Adam George Ostrander Jr. of Seneca died at the scene.

Seventeen-year-old Charles'c (CHARL-see) Aviana Skelton of Seneca died about an hour later at the Oconee Medical Center Emergency Department.

Addis says neither teen was wearing a helmet. Autopsies are planned.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/02/4384085/2-teens-on-moped-die-in-oconee.html

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

Winthrop student dies in crash on I-20

ROCK HILL — Winthrop University student Morgan LeAnne Hughes was killed and two other Winthrop students injured in a car crash Sunday night in Kershaw County.

Hughes, 21, of Conway was a senior majoring in special education at Winthrop.

Born Dec. 27, 1990, Hughes was an active member of the Winthrop Quidditch Team, for which she served as treasurer. Last week she presented at the state math conference with Richard W. Riley College of Education faculty. She was working as an intern at Chester High School.

Junior early childhood education major Christian McBee and senior special education major Caitlin Livingston were injured in the accident and taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital in Columbia.

Livingston is expected to be released soon, but expressed to Winthrop staff that her heart is broken.

McBee is expected to remain in the hospital.

The three roommates were on their way back to campus around 8 p.m. Sunday on I-20 at the 98 mile marker, said Lance Cpl. Brent Kelly with the Highway Patrol.

Hughes was a front seat passenger in a 2005 Suzuki, Kelly said. Hughes and the driver were wearing seatbelts.

Their vehicle was struck in the rear by a 2006 Mercedes Sport Utility Vehicle driven by an 18-year-old man from Sewell, N.J., who was taken by EMS to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Kelly said. His condition was not available, but he was wearing a seatbelt.

The Suzuki and another vehicle, a 2009 Honda SUV driven by a 16-year-old from Leesville, were slowing for traffic as they traveled west on I-20, Kelly said. The Mercedes driven by the N.J. man struck the Suzuki in the rear, which caused it to turn over into the median and hit the cable barrier.

The man’s vehicle then hit the Honda driven by the 16-year-old, who was wearing a seatbelt and not hurt, Kelly said. There was a passenger in the Honda, but that person was not hurt and wore a seatbelt.

“Our campus is truly lessened by Morgan’s passing,” said Vice President for Student Life Frank Ardaiolo. “Please join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to Morgan’s family as we also pray for a quick and full recovery for Christian and Caitlin.”

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/10/29/4373116/winthrop-student-dies-in-crash.html

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

SC man killed by truck that jumped curb

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Gilbert, S.C., man hit by a pickup truck on the William Jennings Dorn VA Medical Center campus Monday has died.

Duane Mack, 85, was walking with a relative outside the center when a Lincoln pickup truck jumped a curb and pinned him underneath, Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said.

Mack was transported to Palmetto Health Richland hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 10:44 a.m., Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said.

The truck’s driver, whose identity was not available, was trying to park at the hospital and suddenly accelerated, Timmons said. After hitting Mack, the truck also struck a small brick wall.

The truck’s passengers were seen by medical staff as a precaution, Timmons said. Mack’s relative was not hurt.

The police department does not believe the crash was intentional, Timmons said. It was not known whether any charges had been filed.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/10/24/4360396/sc-man-killed-by-truck-that-jumped.html

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.

SC woman dies after motorcycle hits deer

LEXINGTON — A Lexington woman riding on a motorcycle that hit a deer Sunday afternoon near Lake Murray in has died.

Lynne M. Wilke, 48, died Wednesday after she was thrown from a motorcycle traveling south on Foxglen Road outiside Lexington, Lexington County Coroner Harry Harmon said.

Wilke was riding as a passenger on the Harley-Davidson motorcycle. A group of deer started traveling across the road and the motorcycle struck one of the animals, state Highway Patrol trooper Brent Kelly said.

Wilke was thrown from the vehicle, and the driver laid the bike down after impact, Kelly said. Both were taken to Palmetto Health Richland, where Wilke later died. Neither were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/10/25/4365731/sc-woman-dies-after-motorcycle.html

Shaw Law Firm focuses its representation on individuals and families who have been Injured. We represent clients involved in Automobile accidents, Tractor-Trailer accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Hit and Run accidents, Drivers with no insurance accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle accidents. We also handle claims associated with Dog Bites/Attacks, Injuries on the Job, Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse, Prescription Errors and all Injuries associated with Children.

Shaw Law Firm has a Former Prosecutor on Staff who is dedicated to representing families and individuals going through difficult situations. Divorces and persons accused of Crimes, including alcohol and drug related charges are the focus.

We serve York County, Lancaster County and Chester County and all cities within those counties including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie, Tega Cay, York, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Indian Land, Catawba, Lancaster, Chester, Great Falls and Richburg. We also serve Charlotte and the entire surrounding region.