Aiken, SC — May 6, 2025, one person was injured in a truck accident at about 4:30 p.m. on Interstate 20 at U.S. Route 1/Columbia Highway.

Authorities said a semi-truck hauling a tanker drove off the side of a bridge, spilling a flammable chemical that forced some the evacuation of nearby businesses. Some area residents were ordered to shelter in place while emergency crews cleaned up the methyl acetate that spilled from the truck.

The truck driver was hospitalized with unspecified injuries after passersby helped free her from the vehicle, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Aiken County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary

One of the most serious risks in any commercial truck crash is when hazardous materials are involved. When a tanker hauling flammable chemicals leaves the roadway and spills its load, the legal questions quickly move beyond just what caused the crash. The focus also shifts to whether the hazardous cargo was being transported safely in the first place.

In cases like this, investigators need to examine more than the driver's actions. Yes, it matters whether speed, fatigue or distraction played a role in the crash itself. But it's equally important to look into how the tanker was maintained, whether the tank met federal safety standards and whether the shipper and carrier followed proper loading and routing procedures for a volatile substance like methyl acetate.

In my experience, crashes involving hazmat loads often raise questions about training and oversight. Was the driver properly certified to haul this kind of chemical? Did she receive specific instructions on what to do if the tanker became unstable? Was the route appropriate, given the dangers associated with the cargo? These aren't academic questions. They're key to determining whether the risk posed to the public was within reason or the result of negligence.

Whenever hazardous materials spill in a crash, it’s not just the immediate crash victims who are affected. Businesses get evacuated. People are told to shelter in place. First responders face elevated danger. That kind of disruption only happens when something has gone seriously wrong, and it’s not enough to blame it on a loss of control without asking why control was lost in the first place.

My hope is that investigators don’t just clean up the mess and move on. A proper investigation should include reviewing the truck’s inspection history, the driver’s qualifications and the shipper’s safety protocols. That’s the only way to ensure the people affected by this crash get real answers.