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by ERIN PARROTT
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A deadly, multi-vehicle crash involving multiple commercial vehicles shut down a portion of Interstate 95 in Colleton County, South Carolina this week – prompting an extensive emergency response effort and traffic detours.
Two people died, more than ten were hospitalized and nearly two dozen were injured and in the fourteen-car pileup – which blocked one of the nation’s most highly-trafficked transportation arteries for eleven hours.
At approximately 4:35 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (July 22, 2025), multiple law enforcement agencies and first responders were dispatched to mile marker 41 on Interstate 95 – about a half-mile north of Yemassee, S.C. – following reports of a collision on the highway’s two southbound lanes.
The incident took place on a bridge over the Combahee River during a heavy thunderstorm – with motorists reporting “near zero visibility” at the time of the crash, according to a release from local first responders.
Per Colleton County Fire-Rescue, “a collision occurred just south of the bridge causing traffic to slow.” Shortly thereafter, “a second collision occurred on the bridge involving six tractor trailers and six cars/pickup trucks.”
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A total of fourteen vehicles were involved in the two collisions, with 26 injured crash victims requiring medical attention. Four of those individuals were “trapped in the wreckage,” the agency noted. Reports from the scene detailed the carnage – and the challenges facing first responders.
“A truck driver, who’s cab was completely demolished, was trapped in the remains of his cab and two victims were trapped in a pickup truck that was ten feet in the air, crashed through the rear of a semi-trailer,” the Colleton-Fire Rescue release continued. “A victim of one vehicle on the bridge, fell off of the bridge into the Combahee River trying to escape his car. He suffered non-life threatening injuries and was able to swim to the bank before responders arrived.”
Several passing motorists attended to crash victims as emergency response crews began descending on the scene. First responders credited one motorist in particular who climbed atop the pile of vehicles and assisted them in their triage efforts.
“He was able to direct responders to the most injured and provided good information on the number of the injured and their locations,” they noted.
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Horrific images from the fatal crash on Interstate 95 yesterday afternoon. Two dead. Fourteen vehicles involved. Nearly two dozen injured. Prayers up to all impacted and huge thanks to first responders. pic.twitter.com/OeY57H2AyA
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) July 23, 2025
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One of the crash victims extracted from the wreckage was “transported emergent” to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. S.C. where he underwent “advanced airway procedures to save his life.”
Another crash victim was transported to the trauma center at HCA Memorial Hospital in Savannah, Georgia, while nine additional patients were transported to hospitals in Colleton and Beaufort counties.
Complicating emergency response efforts? The inability of any of the crash victims to be airlifted from the scene.
“No medical helicopters could fly due to the poor weather conditions,” the release noted.
The cargo of one of the tractor trailers involved in the crash also compounded difficulties.
One semi-truck was hauling sheets of plate glass which was expelled onto the highway,” the release noted, forcing responders to “work around broken glass, in some areas two feet deep.”
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Following the crash, troopers with S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) shut down all southbound lanes in the area and created a detour for drivers to take through Yemassee. The Interstate remained closed for approximately 11 hours until early Wednesday morning (July 23, 2025).
Colleton County coroner Richard Harvey confirmed two fatalities in the crash, but as of this publication the victims’ identities have not yet been released.
While the cause of the collision remains under investigation, a Facebook user posted on a Yemassee Police Department (YPD) post about the crash – claiming to have witnessed the incident and noting that a sudden downpour caused whiteout conditions on the roadway.
“As I was slowing down, I looked in my mirrors and saw a massive semi in the lane next to me coming up way too fast. I could tell immediately it wasn’t going to stop in time,” they stated. “A second later, it slammed full speed into another semi that was stopped just to the right of me.”
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The user stated Tuesday’s crash was one of the “most violent” they had ever seen – describing the sound as “deafening, like an explosion,” and noting the ensuing impact “shook everything.”
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) traffic cameras showed the Interstate moving normally as of 8:00 a.m. EDT Wednesday morning (July 23, 2025), with all lanes having reopened.
At this time, there is no further information about the incident, but count on FITSNews to provide our audience with pertinent updates as the investigation continues.
SCHP will lead that inquiry with assistance from the S.C. State Transport Police (SCSTP) and a Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) from the S.C. Department of Public Safety (SCDPS).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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