The driver of an 18-wheeler truck for Walmart was not seriously injured last Wednesday when his rig ran off the right side of Hwy 9, clipped the edge of the guardrail at the Pee Dee River bridge and landed on its side down the embankment, said Public Relations Officer Sonny Collins of the SC Highway Patrol.
The accident happened in the early hours of the morning, but the traffic jam didn’t begin until after tow truck workers placed giant straps around the big rig to lift it around 9 a.m. Lifting the truck didn’t take nearly as long as hauling it across the river bridge.
Traffic headed into Cheraw from Wallace that morning stood still for an hour and a half. Several people got out of their cars to talk with neighboring motorists. Collins said it was not certain how far back the lanes were stopped, but that all traffic had cleared before 11 a.m.
— Staff Writer Karen Kissiah can be reached by calling 843-537-5261, or by email at kkissiah@heartlandpublications.com.










