MYRTLE BEACH, Horry County, S.C., Sept. 27, 2026 — Southbound lanes of the Highway 17 Bypass were closed Sunday, September 27, after a multi-vehicle crash at Pine Island Road, according to the Myrtle Beach Fire Department. Two people were taken to a hospital, fire officials said.
Two vehicles reportedly caught fire after the collision. Crews on scene said the fire has since been brought under control, though the extent of damage to the vehicles has not been released.
The number of vehicles involved and the cause of the crash have not been detailed publicly. Fire crews asked drivers to avoid the intersection while the response continued, citing safety concerns for both motorists and emergency personnel.
It is not known how long the southbound lanes will remain closed. No further information on the crash has been released, and the investigation appears to still be in its early stages.
Our thoughts are with those who were injured, and we wish them a full recovery.
How Misconception Impacts the Outcome Multi-Vehicle Pile-Ups
Many drivers assume that pile-ups happen mostly on highways because vehicles are traveling at higher speeds. Speed plays a role, but the bigger factor is how little space and time drivers leave themselves to react when something ahead goes wrong, whether that's at highway speed or approaching a busy intersection like the kind involved in bypass corridor crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 28,595 large-truck occupants were injured in multi-vehicle crashes involving large trucks in 2023. That figure reflects how multi-vehicle collisions, not single-vehicle wrecks, are the ones producing injuries serious enough to require medical transport.
The numbers doesn't back the assumption that these crashes are rare events. They are a routine outcome of ordinary traffic getting compressed into too little following distance, especially where roads merge, slow, or intersect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does following distance matter so much in these crashes?
The gap between vehicles is what gives a driver time to stop or steer clear when traffic ahead brakes suddenly. A short following distance turns a single hard stop into a chain reaction.
Do secondary crashes normally follow the first one?
Yes. Once a crash blocks lanes or slows traffic, drivers approaching the scene sometimes don't see it in time, especially at night or in heavy traffic, which can add more vehicles to the wreck.
Why are multi-vehicle crashes hard to investigate?
Investigators have to sort out the order in which impacts occurred, which is harder with more vehicles, more damage, and conflicting driver and witness accounts.
What to Do After a Multi-Vehicle Crash in Myrtle Beach, SC
If you're involved in or come upon a multi-vehicle crash, stay in your vehicle if it's unsafe to exit, and move to the shoulder if you can do so safely. Call 911 right away, even if you're not sure how serious the crash is, since other drivers may not see it in time to stop.
Anyone involved should get checked by a medical provider, even without visible injuries. Adrenaline can mask pain from impact, and some injuries don't show symptoms right away. Keep a record of what happened as soon as you're able, including where you were and what you saw, since multi-vehicle crashes often involve more than one report and more than one insurer.
