George Garner II, the mayor of McCall, South Carolina, died Tuesday in a head-on collision with a truck, days after the town's police officer resigned, according to the coroner.
The recently re-elected 49-year-old mayor was “being chased by Marlboro County deputies” at the time of the incident, J. Todd Hardy said. Darlington County Coronersaid in a statement posted on Facebook. The coroner argued Garner was pursuing the mayor to protect himself, not because he had broken any laws.
“I will be making a ruling on the circumstances of this death in the coming days. Please keep this family and the wonderful people of neighboring Marlborough County in your prayers,” Hardy said. The coroner added that his office and the South Carolina State Highway Patrol's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (SCHP MAIT) are investigating the incident.
Funeral arrangements are complete for McCall Mayor George Garner, who died in an accident earlier this week. https://t.co/mRXizLG7Mb
— WMBF News (@wmbfnews) November 28, 2024
MAIT officials are tasked with conducting a detailed investigation into the crash. According to Visit the South Carolina Department of Public Safety website. (Related: 'Our city is in shock': 10-year-old boy charged in shooting death of former mayor)
Renee Wunderlich, spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Law Enforcement. said By the way, the investigation is “active and ongoing.” SCHP Lance Corporal Lena Butler said the mayor died at the hospital from his injuries.
McCall recently witnessed the resignation of Police Chief Robert Hale and the rest of the once five-person force. The former chief's last day of work was Nov. 22. In his letter, Hale cited “repeated acts of harassment by certain City Council members, personal attacks on his character, and the overall creation of a hostile work environment” as his motivation for resigning.
“We are actively working to hire a new police chief and more officers,” Garner told WPDE News. The mayor confirmed on November 21 that the entire force had decided to turn in their badges. According to by the way.
Mayor's funeral will be held in McCall on December 3rd, WMBF News reported.
