UPDATE (April 6, 2023): Investigators said that the woman killed in the crash was 53-year-old Vicki Caroline Johnson. Right now, additional details about the crash are unavailable.

Pelzer, SC — April 3, 2023, a driver was killed as the result of an accident where a tractor-trailer hit a vehicle on Augusta Road.

Greenville County officials said the incident took place at approximately 12:16 p.m. at the intersection of Augusta Road and Garrison Road, which is north of Woodville.

Initial statements said that a vehicle was going along the roadway when it stopped for a traffic light. While doing so, it appears that a tractor-trailer crashed into the back of that vehicle. As a result, the driver of that vehicle sustained fatal injuries. No other injuries were reported, and the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Obviously, there are a lot of missing details here in regards to why all of this happened and how it could have been avoided. But when reports say a tractor-trailer crashed into the back of a vehicle at a traffic light, it's not often a sign the truck driver did nothing wrong. The opposite tends to be true. But as likely as it is that this all happened due to something like distraction, fatigue, speeding, or following too closely, it would be irresponsible to go around blaming someone without knowing the whole story.

This could all be the result of some unusual, unavoidable situation like a manufacturing defect or issues with traffic signals. It could also be the more likely result of a driver's negligence. Whether it's to catch something that tends to go overlooked or to ensure there is no avoiding blame for one's reckless actions, letting the facts speak for themselves is almost always the proper path forward. The victim's loved ones deserve answers, and they deserve to know there will be appropriate consequences if necessary. It's still early in the investigations, but I have yet to see public information that gives me confidence authorities are giving this horrible event the attention it deserves.

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