AYNOR, SC AREA (WBTW) – The families of two South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) workers who were killed in a crash in Horry County have filed wrongful death lawsuits.
Cecil Morgan, 35, from Aynor, and David Sibbick, 29, from Loris, died of injuries sustained in the crash.
The law firms representing the families, Rankin and Rankin and L. Morgan Martin, released the following joint statement to News13.
Cecil and David’s deaths were a tragic and shocking loss to their family, friends, co-workers at the South Carolina Department of Transportation and to this entire community. This was a senseless tragedy which was the result of the recklessness of the trucking company and its driver. L. Morgan Martin and Mary Ashley Bellamy represent the family of Cecil Andrew Morgan and Luke Rankin represent the family of David Sibbick
The families of Morgan and Sibbick filed the lawsuits in Horry County on Friday. They claim the driver of a freightliner truck was traveling “in excess of 50 miles per hour as he proceeded past the warning signs for reduced speed due to road construction and plowed into the two stopped vehicles.”
The lawsuits also claim during a pre-trip inspection of the freightliner, it was revealed the truck had “non-functioning brakes” and that the driver “was not medically qualified or fit to drive due to severe obesity, hypertension and/or obstructive sleep apnea.”
To read the full lawsuits, click here and here.
The crash happened in July in the area of Pine Oaks Farm Road and U.S. Highway 501 near Aynor. Four vehicles were involved in the crash.
Troopers with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the driver of an 18-wheeler hit two vehicles stopped in traffic, then hit the DOT workers who were standing in the road and a DOT truck legally parked on the side of the road, before then going off the road and hitting a tree.
Horry County Fire Rescue said five others were taken to the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening at this time. One other person suffered minor injuries, but waived hospital transport.
Count on News13 for potential updates, including whether charges will be filed.
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