5-vehicle crash blocks U.S. 278 through Okatie Thursday morning
A five vehicle crash involving a dump truck and two trailer-hauling pickups blocked the intersection at U.S. 278 and Palmer Grace Boulevard in Okatie on Thursday morning.
The dump truck spilled its contents all over the right turn lane and the two pickups are “tied in a knot,” said Stephen Combs, spokesperson for the Bluffton Township Fire Department. Two other cars were involved but with only minor damage, Combs added.
Minutes before 9 a.m., the Bluffton Police Department reported the wreck in the westbound lanes.
As of 9:45 a.m., traffic was backed up in both directions along the normally busy U.S. 278 and at the intersection of U.S. 278 and S.C. 170. The on ramp from S.C. 170 to U.S. 278 has been shut down.
Combs expects U.S. 278 itself to be closed for at least a couple hours.
“Fortunately, as bad as the accident was [only] minor injuries,” he said.
Two people were transported to a local hospital for the minor injuries. The dump truck driver was entrapped in the vehicle but was not taken to the hospital, according to Combs.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol was on the scene to determine the cause of the crash, Combs said.
The intersection of 170 and 278 is cleared and opened, as of 11:45 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 9:28 AM.
