FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 25, 2000

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Highway Patrol and State Transport Police, forced into action by Monday’s unexpected snow storm that dumped as much as 16 inches of moist, wet snow in some areas of the state, responded to more than 10,000 calls for assistance between 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 24, and 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25.

The Highway Patrol investigated a total of 1,189 collisions between Monday and Tuesday morning.

Troopers and STP officers from the Upstate to the Lowcountry worked throughout Monday and into the night in a concerted effort to clear massive traffic jams caused by the large amount of snow that began to fall around midday and continued throughout most of the night.

Three fatalities were reported during the same time frame. A fourth fatality occurred Sunday, Jan. 23, in Lancaster County.

The sheer volume of collisions caused long delays in troopers responding to collisions. In Richland County alone, troopers worked 128 accidents. Across the river in Lexington County, troopers handled another 97 accidents between Monday morning and Tuesday morning.

Sections of I-385 and I-26 in and around Laurens County were closed for hours as troopers struggled to clear two separate snow-related collisions involving tractor-trailer rigs. The lengthy delay prompted officials in Clinton and Newberry to open emergency shelters to house stranded motorists. At one point, more than 200 motorists had been taken to shelters.

National Guard Humvees and Department of Natural Resources four-wheel drive vehicles were used throughout the evening hours to locate and transport stranded motorists to shelter.

SG/7/2000