1 killed and 1 injured in South Carolina car-pedestrian crash

It was around 2:15 a.m. on Aug. 30 when two pedestrians who were walking along a road in Folly Beach, South Carolina, were hit by a vehicle that left the scene. South Carolina deputies say that the accident occurred on West Ashley Avenue between Second and Third streets. According to the coroner’s report, one of the victims, a 29-year-old man, died soon after the accident.

Local residents say they heard a loud boom around the time of the accident. A neighbor said that he got out of his bed to see what had happened. He saw two bodies, one thrown approximately 100 feet, the other 75 feet. Both victims were taken to Medical University Hospital. One individual was in serious condition and the other critical.

Later that morning, around 11 a.m., authorities discovered the vehicle that was involved in the crash, a Honda SUV. The left headlight and the windshield were severely damaged. Officers also arrested the driver of the SUV. Initial charges against the accused driver were documented as leaving the scene of an accident with bodily harm. The degree of the charges was increased to include reckless homicide when one of the victims later passed away. The Charleston County Detention Center is where the suspect is being held with a bond set at $300,000.

A pedestrian fatality due to a hit-and-run car accident may be grounds for a wrongful death claim. Plaintiffs may be awarded compensatory damages that cover medical and funeral costs and lost wages.

Source: WCIV, “1 pedestrian killed, another seriously injured in crash on Folly Beach“, August 31, 2014