A Goose Creek, South Carolina (SC), woman has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after hitting and injuring two firefighters who were assisting with the response to an earlier accident in which a car wound up in a ditch alongside U.S. Highway 176/James Avenue. The Charleston Post & Courier is reporting that a fire captain suffered a broken foot and a firefighter sustained a fractured ankle when struck by the woman. Both the firemen were treated and released from the hospital within a few hours.
This crash highlights both the dangers drunk drivers pose to other people and the risks emergency responders face when they assist accident victims. South Carolina, like Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC), has a move over law that requires drivers approaching a crash scene, disabled vehicle or traffic stop to change lanes or slow down significantly to give police, firefighters, EMTs and tow truck operators time and space to work. When drivers do not obey the move over law, injuries and deaths for emergency responders too often result.
EJL