“Construction nightmare” on I-85 in SC causes deadly CMV sideswipe

One person is dead after a crash between two commercial vehicles and a passenger car in a construction zone along Interstate 85 in South Carolina on Wednesday evening. 

The accident happened on July 10th at 6:56 p.m. on I-85 at mile marker 96 near Gaffney, South Carolina. 

According to WYFF, a semi truck heading north in a construction zone on I-85 hit a guardrail on the right side of the road, sending it veering into and over the guardrail separating the northbound lanes from the southbound lanes. The semi truck then collided with another tractor trailer heading southbound and struck an SUV head-on. 

Both truckers were injured in the accident. The extent of their injuries is not known. The SUV driver, identified as 73-year-old Donald Harwood, was trapped inside of his vehicle before being pronounced dead at the scene. 

“While some sections of I-85 are much better with the opening of those with six lanes, others that remain under construction still pose a danger to motorists traveling through Cherokee County,” said Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler. “This is yet another victim of an ill-fated construction nightmare.”

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash.