Dram Shop Injury Attorney in Laurens, SC

LAURENS COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office said nearly 30 arrests were made during an illegal “street takeover” over the weekend.

The sheriff’s office said the “street takeover” took place on Mountville Road and White Plains Road on Saturday. It was widely advertised online beforehand.

A neighbor reports at least 75 people showed up

The neighbor said, “There was a large crowd, but they were not just in the road. They were also going down the side of the road. They had like easy pop tints. I mean, it looked like a party, but they were all the way across the road completely blocking the road.”

During the event, the sheriff’s office said 29 arrests were made.

“Not every event advertised on social media is a good idea. This was one of them,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the Roadway Protection and Safety Act makes it illegal to participate in, organize, be a spectator, aider or abettor of a street takeover.

This bill was passed to “curb the dangerous trend of coordinated groups blocking intersections, highways, and commercial parking lots for reckless driving exhibitions such as burnouts, drifting, and donuts,” according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said people were seen standing in the roadway while multiple ATVs, cars and sports bikes performed drag racing, stunt maneuvers, burnouts, and donuts. The roadway was completely blocked and shut down.

“A little friendly advice: If you’re planning illegal activity, posting an invitation for everyone to see probably isn’t going to work out for you,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, “street takeovers” are dangerous, impede traffic, encourage reckless behavior and turn public roads into a playground. This is setting the scene for someone to get seriously hurt.

Several of the people arrested did not live in Mountville and several live outside the county, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Our deputies will continue to respond to these events and hold those responsible accountable. Public roadways are not for reckless stunts. Think twice before making the drive to Laurens County to participate in something that ends with blue lights and jail,” said Laurens County Sheriff Don Reynolds.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with FOX Carolina. For more free content like this, .

CROSS HILL, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Laurens County Fire Service reported that emergency responders are on the scene of a multi-car train derailment that occurred early Monday.

Officials said the incident happened around 5:20 a.m. after 17 train cars were derailed near Whitten Road in Laurens County and near Greenwood County. Six of those train cars have the capability to safely contain hazardous material.

CSX launched a hazmat team to inspect the six train cars and confirmed that they did not contain hazardous materials, officials said. This derailment did not result in a hazardous spill and there is no threat of contamination from hazardous materials.

Greenwood County officials reported white material released from one rail car has been identified as sodium borate, an ingredient in laundry detergent. It is classified as non-hazardous material for transport.

CSX is working to remove the material through operations designed to prevent impacts to the environment, including a skid steer and vacuum truck, officials said.

At this time, no spills have been reported into Lake Greenwood. A containment boom will be deployed in the water as make sure there are not any residual impacts. Officials said the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is managing boat traffic on the lake near the lower train trestle.

CSX crews have been working to restore the train tracks on Monday night, officials said. These These repair efforts are expected to continue throughout the afternoon and into Tuesday evening.

Officials said the last step of this restoration process consists of reparations to the bridge. Pile drivers have been transported to the incident site to complete this final step. Additionally, turbidity curtains have been placed in the water to contain any debris that may fall into Lake Greenwood during this step.

Nearby residents are advised that the work conducted by the pile drivers may produce noticeable, temporary noise, officials said.

Stay with FOX Carolina as we work to learn more.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with FOX Carolina. For more free content like this, .

LAURENS COUNTY, S.C. —

Train cars derailed in Laurens County, South Carolina, on Monday morning, according to authorities.

The derailment was reported about 5:20 a.m. near Whitten Road in the Cross Hill area of the county. No injuries were reported. Despite the original report that 21 cars derailed, CSX officials have revised this number to 17.

Laurens County officials said six of those train cars have the capability to safely contain hazardous materials, but none of them contained hazardous material. That was confirmed by a CSX Hazmat team.

It was later revealed by Greenwood County officials that the white material spilled from one of the rail cars, previously identified by CSX as plastic polymer, has been identified as sodium borate (Borax), an active ingredient in laundry detergent.

At this time, officials do not believe any material from the spill has reached Lake Greenwood.

While there is no impact to the safety of Lake Greenwood’s water, Laurens and Greenwood County officials asked residents and visitors are to use caution near the lower train trestle as cleanup operations continue.

A CSX spokesperson said the cause of the derailment is not known and under investigation.

“CSX has their own team to find out the cause, how to prevent it in the future and mitigate the damage done," Laurens County Fire Services Deputy Director Gabe Mull said.

Cleanup and Repair Operations Underway

Greenwood County is working with the Department of Environmental Services (DES) to remain informed and provide updates on cleanup efforts. A DES inspector is on-site and will remain throughout the cleanup process.

CSX crews are conducting cleanup operations using mechanical equipment, including a skid steer and vacuum truck, to safely remove the material from the derailment area. A containment boom will also be deployed in the water as a precautionary measure to help ensure there are no residual impacts.

In addition, CSX is beginning repairs to the damaged trestle. As part of the repair work, CSX will construct a stone cofferdam Monday night and plan to install a turbidity curtain to contain any material displaced during construction.

We are told that these measures are not related to the spill and are being implemented solely to facilitate trestle repairs.

"They have some very heavy equipment to lift, they have to rip up the tracks that have been damaged and then replace all of those, so some massive equipment on site taking care of that situation," Mull said.

Greenwood County will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with CSX, SCDNR, Laurens County, and other regional partners and will share additional information as needed.

What is Borax?

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral compound used in products such as detergents, cleaning agents, glass, ceramics, and other industrial applications.

Sodium borate is classified as a non-hazardous material for transportation. While elevated concentrations may affect sensitive vegetation and aquatic species, and direct contact with large amounts of material could cause skin irritation, CSX is actively removing the material through cleanup operations designed to prevent potential impacts to the surrounding environment.

Borax can be harmful if swallowed in large amounts, especially by small children and pets.

Impacts to Traffic

At this time, only one of the elevated openings beneath the lower train trestle is available for boat passage. Boaters traveling through the area should proceed with extreme caution, remain alert, and follow all directions from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officers.

Officials said the stretch of Whitten Road near Lake Greenwood reopened Monday afternoon, after residents on the south side of the train tracks that run perpendicular to Whitten Road were unable to leave for several hours.

Share

Following Main Street South Carolina's accreditation review process, Main Street Laurens will now be classified at the "Friends" level within the state Main Street network for the remainder of 2026 and through 2027. While Laurens' program is no longer recognized as an Accredited Main Street program, it remains part of the Main Street South Carolina network and will continue receiving guidance and resources as it works toward future reaccreditation.

Main Street Laurens is an independent non-profit organization which was founded in 1996 to work in conjunction with the City of Laurens to promote historic preservation and encourage downtown revitalization. It is part of a larger network of similar non-profit organizations across the state. This network of statewide revitalization programs, some which operate as part of city governments and some which operate independently as non-profits, is supported and organized by Main Street South Carolina, which is part of the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

Main Street Laurens’ new status will allow the organization to receive guidance to strengthen its governance, operations and create plans for long-term sustainability.

This change reflects the need to implement reforms identified as part of Main Street South Carolina’s review along with internal discussions of Main Street Laurens’ board.

Main Street South Carolina’s extensive review of the organization’s governance and practices identified several areas where Main Street Laurens can improve. In order to build a more sustainable future, Main Street Laurens will make strategic improvements to its governance, strategic planning, board development and organizational practices.

The Main Street Laurens Board of Directors recognizes Main Street South Carolina's recommendations and has already begun implementing improvements. The organization has experienced several leadership changes over the past three years, and the current Board and leadership recognize the importance of establishing long-term stability as they work toward reaccreditation, potentially as soon as 2028.

Throughout this internal review and rebuilding process, Main Street Laurens says they will remain committed to supporting the businesses, property owners, volunteers and stakeholders who make downtown Laurens a vibrant destination.

At a recent meeting between the Main Street Laurens Board of Directors and City of Laurens leadership, representatives of both organizations reaffirmed their shared commitment to the continued success of downtown Laurens and to working together throughout this process.

During the 2026-2027 budget, the City of Laurens allocated $10,000 to Main Street Laurens and will allocate additional program funding if requested and approved by City Council. The City had previously allocated $68,000 annually to Main Street Laurens.

According to Mayor Nathan Senn, the funding decision by the City was made prior to any accreditation decision by Main Street SC.

Brad Abercrombie, Executive Director of Main Street Laurens, said, “For more than 30 years, Main Street Laurens has worked alongside our businesses, property owners, volunteers, and community partners to help shape a vibrant downtown. We recognize the recommendations made by Main Street South Carolina and are evaluating our next steps to strengthen our organization. We will work to understand our challenges and address them head on. This is an opportunity to build on the work of the past, strengthen our foundation, and continue serving the businesses, property owners and community that believe in downtown Laurens. We appreciate the continued partnership of the City of Laurens as we move forward together.”

Mayor Senn said, “Downtown Laurens has seen tremendous progress because of strong partnerships and people who care deeply about this community. That will not change. Main Street Laurens has played an important role in our community’s success over the past 30 years, and the City remains committed to working alongside the organization as it moves through this next chapter. Together, we will continue supporting downtown businesses, encouraging investment and vibrancy and preserving the character of our downtown.”

Over the coming months, Main Street Laurens will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its programs and operations to ensure that the organization is both sustainable and effective in carrying out the role it was established to play for Laurens.

“We know people will have questions about what this means practically, particularly when it comes to plans for Squealin’ on the Square and other events that people associate with Main Street,” said Executive Director Brad Abercrombie. “As we move through this process, Main Street Laurens will continue hosting events and programs that align with our mission and goals moving forward. We will share updates on specific events as plans are finalized, but our commitment to downtown Laurens remains unchanged. Main Street Laurens and the City are committed to working together to make Laurens the best place it can be.”