By Andy Brack | A Christmas Day traffic tragedy in Goose Creek prevented a 33-year-old Berkeley County woman from celebrating her 34th birthday the next day.
Danubia Gisselia Sevilla of Goose Creek was one of 159 pedestrians killed this year in traffic accidents across the state, officials said. While the number of people who died in all types of traffic accidents dropped about 20% statewide over the last two years, Berkeley County has one of the highest county fatality rates in the state, Coroner Darnell Hartwell said Dec. 27. This year, 55 people have died in traffic accidents in the county, compared to 38 people last year, he said.
“More people are rushing,” he said. “We’ve got people standing up in the middle of Interstate 26 trying to stop traffic. Pedestrians are walking in unlit areas. Multiple fatalities are happening in wrecks.”
Woman, child struck on roadway
At 6:55 p.m. on Dec. 25, a vehicle apparently got stuck in a ditch along Howe Hall Road at Addison Drive, according to Hartwell and the S.C. Department of Public Safety (DPS). Sevilla and a child were standing by the disabled vehicle when both were struck, the coroner said. The sun set at 5:20 p.m.
“There were several people who stopped to assist when the fatality occurred,” Hartwell said. “The young lady’s car got struck accidentally. It was very tragic on Christmas. Matter of a fact — her birthday was the day after Christmas.”
According to DPS, 954 people died from Jan. 1 through Dec. 29. That’s a 13% drop from the previous full year when 1,093 people died. In 2021, 1,195 people died in traffic accidents, according to state data.
So far this year, 159 pedestrians have died in accidents, compared to 194 in 2021. Motorcycle-related deaths also have dropped, from 194 in 2021 to 140 this year through Dec. 25. Only bike-related deaths are the same — 23 this year and for 2021.
The Berkeley County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol are investigating the Goose Creek accident.
Boosting safety
Last year, Ginny T. Jones, director of strategic communications at the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT), highlighted the agency’s emphasis on boosting safety that’s part of its 10-year plan.
“SCDOT has increased funding to our Highway Safety Program by almost 35% from $98 million per year in 2018 to $132 million in 2023,” she said. “Our safety program aims to make improvements based on a systematic, data-driven approach.
“Based on analysis performed by our traffic engineers, we put in proven safety measures on a case-by-case basis. These safety improvements include a variety of countermeasures including alternative intersection designs, traffic signals or signs, pavement markings, removing roadside obstacles and more.”
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