CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Two pedestrians were seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle in downtown Charleston early Friday morning.
Sgt. Elisabeth Wolfsen with the Charleston Police Department told News 2 that the vehicle vs. pedestrian crash happened near the intersection of Columbus and Meeting streets around 2:00 a.m.
While the two pedestrians were seriously injured, Sgt. Wolfsen said they are expected to survive.
The vehicle fled the scene. No arrests have been made.
The department’s ‘major accident’ team is investigating the crash. CPD said they expect to release more information about the crash later.
This incident is not the first of its kind on Meeting Street. From 2015-2019, data from the South Carolina Department of Transportation showed a portion of Meeting Street (from Line Street to Society Street) had the third highest number of pedestrian crashes in Charleston County.
SCDOT officials told News 2, the department is proposing bike and pedestrian safety improvements for Meeting Street, King Street, Calhoun Street, and St. Philip Street.
Officials said the proposed upgrades include:
- High Visibility Crosswalks
- ADA Ramps
- Leading Pedestrian Intervals
- Countdown Signal Heads
- New Pavement Markings
- Bike Facilities
- Road Diet
- Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB)
For the nonprofit Charleston Moves, this is a step in the right direction.
“We would love to see bike lanes on Meeting Street. We would love to see wide sidewalks. We would love to see signals that prioritize people, high-visibility crosswalks, mid-block crossings. All of those things that really prioritize people and make them as visible as possible,” said Savannah Brennan, the Director of Programming for Charleston Moves.
When it comes to pedestrian crashes, Charleston Police said they often happen at night when either the driver or pedestrian is distracted or impaired in some way.
Police ask anyone with information on the crash to contact them.
