Georgia residents should know that a three-car crash in Anderson, South Carolina, near the intersection of West Point Drive and State Highway 81 South left several people injured. Just before 11 a.m. on April 24, 2019, a deputy with South Carolina Highway Patrol made a left turn onto State 81 when a Mustang traveling north collided with the police car.
While the two were assessing the crash, a Jeep Cherokee traveling south on State 81 crashed into the police car and was overturned. The Jeep driver was taken by helicopter to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital where the driver’s condition is as yet unknown. The deputy was treated at a hospital and released a couple hours later. The deputy and the Mustang driver were hit either by the Jeep or by one of the other vehicles; the details remain unclear.
Highway Patrol’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team was at the scene to reconstruct the crash in its details. One thing that the Sheriff’s Office made clear is that the deputy was responding to a call about a domestic dispute, but since it was not an emergency call, he did not engage the lights and sirens. The investigation and the process of removing debris caused the road to be closed for over four hours.
It remains to be seen how liability will be determined in this case. Georgia adheres to the rule of comparative negligence, which says that even those who are partially to blame for a car accident may be able to recover damages. Still, those injured in this state may want a lawyer to assist with their case because auto insurance companies have legal teams of their own who may work hard to deny claims. With a lawyer, victims may be able to negotiate for a fair settlement.
