Horry Police alters truck use after officer ran over beachgoer in Myrtle Beach area
Horry County Police is decreasing its use of trucks on the beach following a deadly incident in which a beach patrol vehicle ran over a beachgoer, who later died from her injuries.
Police posted on Facebook Thursday that it will instead increase the use of foot and ATV patrols. The post said that trucks remain critical for some cals for service due to certain emergency equipment and community member transportation needs.
HCPD joins two other beach cities who have changed how they are using the trucks after the death of Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters who died June 13 after she was struck by a police vehicle while sitting on the beach near the Nash Street beach access outside Myrtle Beach.
The city of Myrtle Beach has said it is exploring other safety options, including exterior cameras and object detection sensors on the vehicles, said city spokesperson Meredith Denari in an email Tuesday.
And Sunset Beach, North Carolina, has created restrictions for using full-size vehicles on the beach. Sunset Beach Police Chief Ken Klamar said he asked his officers to stop using full-size vehicles to patrol the beach during its peak season.
The Horry County Police vehicle was driven by Beach Patrol Beach Safety Director Julian “Duke” Brown. Brown has been put on paid administrative leave and the South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
The HCPD statement said that police immediately began reviewing policies, procedures and community needs to determine next steps following the accident.
Schultz-Peters was sitting on the beach reading when the accident occurred, according to witnesses.
Before the decision to decrease the use of its trucks, Horry County Police beach patrol utilized an array of equipment to provide services to the beaches of Horry County from Little River to Murrells Inlet, including trucks, ATVS, jet skis, and boats, the post said.
The type of vehicle used depends upon the date, time, call for service and beach-going population at any given moment. HCPD Beach Patrol team members undergo annual department-wide emergency vehicle operations training, as well as an annual beach patrol in-service, which includes instruction on driving on the beach, the post said.
Horry County Police have issued little details about the incident, instead referring questions to South Carolina Highway Patrol and its investigation.
“HCPD recognizes the depth of the loss our community is experiencing in light of the tragic incident involving one of our personnel on the beach last week,” the post said. “Our hearts are with all those who are grieving.”
Another person was hit by an Horry County Police vehicle in 2020 in the Garden City area, The Sun News reported.
One person was taken to the hospital after an incident near Holly Avenue. According to police reports, the officer hit the person who was laying on the beach in Garden City. The officer told SCHP that he was entering the beach from a beach access point and didn’t see the woman due to trash cans obstructing his view, according to a 2020 story by WBTW.
