Lane Construction donates reflective vests for pedestrians

Two local businesses donated 500 reflective safety vests for pedestrians Tuesday morning. From left, Lane Construction S.C. Area Assistant Plant Manager Al Hill presents vests to Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell, and Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers receives vests from Old South Materials Vice President Tris Waystack on Tuesday

Two local businesses teamed up to improve the safety of pedestrians by donating 500 reflective vests to the Orangeburg County and Calhoun County sheriff’s offices.

"This is great! Real helpful," Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said.

On Tuesday morning, Ravenell and Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers met Al Hill of Lane Construction and Tris Waystack of Old South Materials at the Lane Construction site on Kennerly Road.

The businesses presented the sheriffs with the vests, which are bright yellow with gray reflective strips. Deputies will distribute them to pedestrians.

Summers said, "When Tris approached me about this, I thought it was a great idea."

"In our county, we have a bunch of walking traffic. They’re either walking because they have no transportation or they’re walking for their health," Summers said.

"Either way, it could be hazardous to them, so these vests, if they take them and wear them, will certainly be a safety issue. I appreciate them partnering with us," Summers said.

Waystack said Lane and Old South have identified a "tremendous amount of pedestrian traffic up and down Kennerly Road and several other roads in this vicinity."

"It gives the sheriff’s deputies a chance to interact with the community in a positive manner to promote community policing," Waystack said.

"Since both companies are heavily involved in this community, we want to do something to help protect the people of this community," he added.

"We’re certainly happy to be able to do this," Hill said.

"We operate in these communities and Lane’s priority is safety."

According to the S.C. Department of Public Safety, 92 pedestrians have died on S.C. roadways so far this year, compared to 101 pedestrian deaths in 2016

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