Woman hurt when crash pushes her into path of big rig
By T&D StaffFriday, May 09, 2008An Orangeburg woman was airlifted to Columbia after a three-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon on S.C. Highway 4.
S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Bob Beres said 55-year-old Barbara Van Vago’s 2003 Mazda was struck in the rear, sending her into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer at around 2:15 p.m.
Van Vago was stopped on S.C. Highway 4 waiting to make a left turn onto Gospel Hill Road when she was struck by a 2001 Toyota Camry driven by Bennie Jennings of Orangeburg and knocked into the path of the big rig, Beres said.
Initial reports from the South Carolina Highway Patrol indicated Van Vago was trapped inside her vehicle for a time. She was airlifted from the scene to Palmetto Richland Health in Columbia.
Neither Jennings nor the driver of the tractor-trailer, Ronald Hightower, 55, of Cope, were believed to have been injured, Beres said.
Meantime, Beres said Jennings has been charged with driving too fast for conditions.
Officials were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:23 p.m. An hour later, emergency personnel were still directing traffic around the damaged vehicles.
