PHOTOS: Dump truck knocks down traffic light at Highway 17 intersection

by: Caleb McCusker

Posted: Oct 11, 2023 / 07:28 PM EDT

Updated: Oct 12, 2023 / 08:15 AM EDT

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A traffic light at the intersection of Highway 17 and Sheffield Parkway was briefly disabled Wednesday afternoon when it was knocked down by a dump truck that drove through the intersection with its bed in an upright position and hit the signal post.

One of the traffic lights fell in front of a vehicle that was behind the dump truck at the intersection. The remaining signal lights near South Strand Hospital flashed yellow after the incident.

News13 talked to the truck driver, who said an Horry County police vehicle was nearby when the incident happened, but quickly turned on its emergency lights and drove away from the scene.

An Horry County police spokesperson said there was also an unmarked HCPD unit in the area and that the officer, who was not wearing a recognizable uniform, called the crash in to dispatch.

The other officer would have remained “responsive to the other needs of the community,” the spokesperson said.

The driver of the dump truck said he was part of ongoing construction in Sayebrook and that his truck bed was empty at the time. The South Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the crash and said Thursday that the driver was cited for operating an unsafe vehicle.

A South Carolina Department of Transportation utility vehicle arrived at the scene shortly after the crash.

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on Twitter and read more of his work here.

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