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Close calls with big trucks on Highway 601 cause serious safety concerns

By Greg Suskin, wsoctv.com
By Greg Suskin, wsoctv.com

Big trucks speeding, pulling out in front of cars, flinging debris and causing damage to roads and cars.

These are serious safety concerns that several people brought to Channel 9 Wednesday.

The area of concern is Highway 601 between Kershaw in Lancaster County and Pageland where close calls are terrifying drivers there.

There are five plants, quarries and mines off the highway that see hundreds of trucks in and out every day.

Channel 9 drove the stretch Wednesday.

The speed limit remains at 55 mph, even near the entrance to several large plants where trucks are emerging.

Several drivers talked about frightening close calls with large dump trucks.

Hillary Rape was on Highway 601 Monday morning going to work and she approached two plants where large trucks pull out onto the road.

"The closer I approached, he decided to pull out in front of me, so I slammed on brakes, but I knew I couldn't keep going straight or I was going to hit him. So, I had to run off the side of the road with my kids in the car," she said.

Jordan Smith had a similar experience on a side road that trucks often use as a cut through.

Jordan said the trucks use her neighborhood street, even though signs that say “No through trucks” are posted.

"I've had to pull my car into a ditch with my 1-year-old son in the car because a truck has almost run me off the road," she said.

Others told Channel 9 that heavy trucks are tearing up the roads, and sending debris into the air. A rock from a passing truck cracked the windshield on Channel 9's truck just seconds after turning onto Highway 601.

After complaints in the spring, South Carolina transport police responded with a targeted enforcement campaign.

The agency conducted special enforcement on Highway 601 for eight days in April, seven days in May and one day in June.

Transport police said enforcement is difficult because often there are only one or two officers working in each county.

They do often speak directly with businesses when safety concerns are raised in a community.

However, the trucking companies have concerns too.

On Monday, the driver of an SUV rear-ended a dump truck in front of the Boggs Materials plant on Highway 601. The Boggs truck was slowing to turn into the plant and the SUV driver behind him didn't stop.  The man was seriously hurt and had to be cut out of the SUV.

Buckhorn Materials told Channel 9 they've posted signs inside their property telling their private contractors to be alert on the road.

An official with Boggs Transport said they're concerned that there are no signs anywhere telling drivers about truck traffic in the area.

South Carolina Department of Transportation officials said no one has requested such a sign, but the agency would consider placing one if a request was submitted.

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