Top Stories

Bridge collapses on train, causes derailment on Cypress Gardens Road

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—Shortly before 7 p.m. on Monday, first responders were dispatched to Cypress Gardens Road near Bushy Park after dispatchers notified them that a portion of the bridge in the area had collapsed.

Crews respond to train derailment and collapsed bridge on Cypress Gardens Road.
Crews respond to train derailment and collapsed bridge on Cypress Gardens Road.

Berkeley Co. Rescue Squad Chief Bill Salisbury arrived on the scene, serving as the point of contact for the media.  He says the collapse caused five of the train’s cars to derail.

“The cars happened to be empty,” said Salisbury.  “There was some hazmat material, but it was located in the front of the train but nothing in the area of the derailment.”

Salisbury says the driver of a black pickup truck was traveling on Cypress Gardens Road during the collapse of the bridge but luckily managed to jump the missing part of it and landed on the other side of the highway.

Salisbury called the move something you’d see out of the “Dukes of Hazard” and joked that the driver should consider buying a lottery ticket because he’s lucky to be alive considering that the outcome could have been much worse.

As for what caused the bridge to collapse, Salisbury says that is still under investigation.

“It’ll all be speculation at this point,” said Salisbury.

Multiple agencies were on scene including: SCDOT, CSX, Pimplico Fire Department, Whitesville Fire Department and Goose Creek Fire Department.

Nikki Gaskins Campbell
Follow Me

Comments are closed.