CAYCE, S.C. — After a car crash on May 22, the Exxon on Charleston Highway in Cayce has no more gas pumps for customers to use.
The gas station has had 5 different cars crash into their business since 2017, taking out all four of their gas pumps.
Maintenance employee, Steve Galloway says he witnessed the most recent crash, and called it terrifying.
"I was just about to leave on my bike and I saw the car go out of shape and cross over the white lines," Galloway recalled. "I saw it coming closer and I thought 'no, no, no' and then boom. I got closer and I saw the lady inside slumped over, and smoke started coming from the car. I yelled for them to shut the pump off and for someone to call an ambulance."
Gas station and car wash owner, Al Murrell says the station has plenty of gas but cannot sell it.
"Here we are a gas station with gas and no way to give it out to people," Murrell said.
The gas station says it would cost more than $125,000 dollars to replace all of the pumps.
Murrell says the roads changed in 2016 with the development of a Walmart right across the street. He says the northbound curve on Charleston Highway was previously two lanes, but with the addition of the intersection, a curb and a turning lane, he says drivers are often confused and tend to go too fast through the area.
In 2019, a car crashed into a limo that had been parked in front of his business for years. Now he uses it as a barrier for his business and a warning for other drivers.
"I have a 20 foot and a 30 foot limo out right now, but my thing is I shouldn't have to spend my own money to put up barriers to stop cars from crashing onto the property," Murrell explained.
The state transportation department says they plan to conduct a review of the crash data before and after the intersection was made in 2016. They also plan to add additional signage to the existing median to highlight the shape of the curve.
In the meantime the gas station and car wash employees ask that drivers slow down.
SCDOT did not give us a timeline for when the signs will go up around the curve. The owners of the Exxon gas station hope to get a new gas pump by July.