20-Year-Old Man Killed in Fiery Greenville County Crash

A tragic early morning semi-truck accident in Greenville County took the life of a young man on Wednesday.

The wreck occurred at the intersection of Hammet Bridge and South Buncombe Roads in Greer just after 3 a.m., investigators said.

Greenville County’s deputy coroner stated that the 20-year-old man, who was driving a Lexus SUV, died instantly upon collision with the 18-wheeler.

A witness to the accident said a fire started immediately after the crash.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was treated for injuries and released from the hospital.

An accident investigator said officials are looking into whether one of the driver ran a red light at the intersection.

Officials from the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Greer police, and the Greenville County forensics teams were all at the scene.

As investigators evaluated crash evidence and clean up crews collected debris, a detour was established for drivers trying to leave Greer on South Buncombe was set up on West Road to Highway 14, which then intersects with South Buncombe.

It took several hours for officials to investigate the scene.

Greer Police stated that the road was back open at about 1 p.m., except for the short portion of South Buncombe Road between Hammett Bridge Road and Highway 14.

Though there has not yet been an official judgment made regarding the cause of the horrific accident, there are many other truck accidents in South Carolina that have been found to be caused by a grievous human error. Drivers of passenger cars sometimes make mistakes that put them and their passengers in life-threatening or even deadly situations. But drivers of huge 18-wheelers and the owners of these massive machines sometimes make mistakes too.

For the loved ones of those who have been killed in semi-truck accidents in which the truck driver or trucking company is at fault, the pain of their loss can seem insurmountable. For some, part of that pain arises from the fact that the driver or company cannot and will not ever be punished satisfactorily for their wrongdoing. The justice system is structured to prosecute criminal behavior, not necessarily negligence or recklessness, which are often simply too nebulous to offer evidence of.

South Carolina’s civil courts offer families who have lost loved ones due to another party’s negligent or reckless behavior the opportunity to achieve a sense of closure, the feeling that some justice has been done. The civil system does so by enabling South Carolina trucking accident victims the opportunity to pursue litigation.

The accident lawyers at Harris & Graves have deep experience navigating the sometimes complex civil courts. We can help truck accident victims and their families get the verdicts they deserve for their cases.

If you or a loved one were hurt due to the negligence of another, it might be in your best interest to pursue a civil case. At Harris & Graves, we restrict our practice to helping victims of accidents get the compensation they deserve.

Do you have questions regarding your case? Looking for free legal advice in South Carolina? Ask Harris & Graves today!