DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – A truck hit and killed a 3-year-old girl Wednesday night, Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee confirmed.
The girl was hit around 5 p.m. on South Charleston Road, the coroner said.
In a message posted Wednesday night, a state trooper said the girl was attempting to cross the road when the truck hit her.
People that live along Highway 34 are visibly upset about the accident that took a young girls life. The landlord of the house the child lived at says the family just moved in about three months ago.
Ernestine Russell lives less than a mile from where the accident happened. She was coming home from awake when she got the news.
“I feel so sorry for the mother, father, and the grandparents because I’m a grandparent myself,” said Russell. “I give the family down the street my condolences but this is a busy highway.”
Russell says traffic is always heavy around 5 o’clock as people drive home to Florence and truck drivers avoid going through the City of Darlington.
“This is the alternate route,” said Russell.
She says people rarely do the speed limit.
South Carolina Highway Patrol says the child was crossing the street from West to East when she was hit by a truck. Troopers say the driver did stop and stayed on the scene.
“Every fatality is tough especially little kids. Every fatality is tough because somebodies family is affected by it,” said Lance Corporal Judd Jones.
Russell hopes people traveling through the area slow down.
“Moving forward I hope they slow the traffic down or put more officers here to maintain or something. I hope this doesn’t happen again due to the fact that I have grands and great grands and they be out here playing sometimes,” said Russell. “I wish they would have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year but I know they won’t because their hearts are heavy.”
Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and whether to file charges.
Coroner Todd Hardee says the death ruled an accident Thursday.
