CONWAY — A section of S.C. Highway 22 remains closed following a four-vehicle collision that occurred on Aug. 20, resulting in two fatalities.
Earl Burnette, 49, and Flora Beltran-Gomez, 35, both from the Loris area, died in the crash, according to the Horry County Coroner's Office. The incident took place shortly before 4:30 p.m. near S.C. Highway 905 when a Peterbilt dump truck collided with halted traffic, striking a Chevrolet SUV, which then impacted a Jeep and a GMC pickup.
Burnette's vehicle was pushed over a concrete bridge railing and into the Waccamaw River. Meanwhile, Beltran-Gomez's SUV ignited after the collision. The driver of the GMC pickup was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the dump truck driver was unharmed, authorities said.
Traffic in the area was significantly delayed for several hours. The following morning, crews from the S.C. Department of Transportation assessed the bridge's damage. SCDOT spokeswoman Hannah Robinson stated that a timeline for reopening the roadway will be provided once the evaluation is complete.