By Andrew Dys and Anna Douglas
The Herald
RICHBURG, S.C. — Emergency officials have identified the former Richburg firefighter injured Friday afternoon after colliding with a tractor-trailer truck on S.C. 9 near Richburg.
Fire Chief John Agee said Richard Hough, a longtime volunteer with the Richburg Volunteeer Fire Department, was in good condition Saturday morning in a Charlotte hospital. Hough, of Chester, currently runs a construction business in Richburg, Agee said.
Hough was trapped inside his Chevrolet Tahoe after rear-ending a tractor-trailer just after noon Friday, said Eddie Murphy, director of Chester County’s emergency management office.
Emergency crews called for three medical helicopters and planned to land the choppers on the roadway, but bad weather kept the helicopter pilots from taking off to respond to the accident.
Traffic was stopped on both sides of S.C. 9, Murphy said.
An ambulance took Hough to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill. He was later airlifted to a trauma center in Charlotte.
Chester County Emergency Medical Services, the Richburg fire department, the Lando Fire Department, the Highway Patrol and Chester’s rescue squad responded to help extract Hough from his SUV, Murphy said.
The wreck kept emergency crews on edge, he said, because many of the workers know Hough.
The collision happened near the Truck Driver Institute on S.C. 9, also known as Lancaster Highway. Murphy said the tractor-trailer had a sign denoting the driver was a student in training.
Officials did not indicate anyone would be charged in the accident.
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