Tractor-trailer hits, kills 2 SCDOT workers in Horry County crash, investigators say
Two South Carolina Department of Transportation workers died after a tractor-trailer hit them as they fixed a U.S. 501 pothole in Horry County.
A total of four vehicles were involved in the Thursday afternoon crash, and six other people were injured.
Cecil Morgan, 35, from Aynor, and David Sibbick, 29, from Loris, died from injuries suffered in the wreck, according to the Horry County Coroner’s Office.
The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
The incident was reported around 2:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of U.S. 501 and Pines Oak Farm Road. SC Highway Patrol Cpl. Judd Jones said a Freightliner truck hit two cars that were stopped in traffic, then hit the two SCDOT workers. The tractor-trailer also struck a legally parked SCDOT vehicle and crashed into a tree.
Five other people went to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, officials said. One person had minor injuries, but did not go to the hospital.
The driver of the Freightliner truck was not injured, Jones said. There have been no arrests as of Friday afternoon.
On Friday, the SCDOT released a statement and said Sibbick and Morgan were killed while patching a pothole. There have 85 SCDOT employees killed while working on state roads.
“These two young men were dedicated employees and put their lives on the line daily to serve the motoring public, as do all of our employees who work on our highways,” Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall said in the statement.
“SCDOT has active work zones all over the State. This tragic incident should serve as a reminder to the traveling public to obey signs in work zones, slow down, and watch for workers. Drivers should pay attention, avoid distractions, and expected the unexpected. These measures are not only for the safety of our workers, but for your safety as well.”
“We continue to lift up and pray for the families of the two employees we lost yesterday and will continue to stress the importance of being cautious while driving in work zones,” said SCDOT Commission Chairman Robert D. “Robby” Robbins.
This story was originally published July 25, 2019 at 10:48 PM.
