9 injured on William Hilton Parkway after propane truck rear-ends bus

A propane truck rear-ended a Palmetto Breeze bus on Hilton Head Island on Monday, sending nine people to the hospital, according to the Town of Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue Division.

The wreck occurred just after 2 p.m. on William Hilton Parkway near Hilton Head Resort. It shut down the parkway in both directions and created quite a scare when the propane truck ignited. Firefighters were able to quickly put out the blaze, said fire department spokeswoman Cinda Seamon.

The driver of the propane truck and eight bus passengers were transported to Hilton Head Hospital, said Capt. Toby McSwain of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. Some bus passengers did not require medical treatment.

As of 6 p.m., all of the injured had been treated and were being released, said hospital spokeswoman Kelly Presnell.

The Sheriff's Office closed both

directions of the road for an hour. One lane in each direction still was closed at 6 p.m. while deputies waited for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to determine if the road was safe for motorists.

The wreck is under investigation.

Staff writer Liz Mitchell contributed to this report.