CHESTER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – First responders in Chester County say they have seen 7 fatal traffic accidents in the last 7 days, 6 of those deaths occurred on Interstate -77.
First responders say there has never been a week with so many fatalities in the county that they can remember, and they hope it’s not the new norm.
The Richburg Fire Department says I-77 has seen an increase in traffic over the past few years, and with that brings more danger. While some accidents are unavoidable- authorities say just simply following the rules of the road could save lives on I-77.
Richburg Fire Chief T Melton said, “The frustrating thing is some of these could have been prevented by seatbelts, you know simple things. We’ve seen a lot of people asking questions you know, what’s going to happen, what’s law enforcement going to do to stop this. Some of it’s our own responsibilities you have to wear your seatbelt, you have to obey the speed limit. People are driving a lot more erratic than they used to. It’s almost like people have lost their ability to have patience behind the wheel.”
Some changes have already been made to I-77 to make it safer, including cable barriers that prevent drivers from crossing over to the wrong side of the highway.
While this does help prevent cross-over accidents, Chief Melton says it makes it harder for first responders to reach accidents at times, and that it makes it easier for drivers to speed when they know law enforcement can’t cross the median to make stops.
