Police in South Carolina have scaled back the use of trucks to patrol beaches following the death of a 66-year-old woman who was hit and killed by a car earlier this month, while a local lawmaker told Fox News Digital he plans to introduce a bill that would ban large vehicles from driving on beaches except in emergencies.
According to reports, on June 13th at approximately 1:00 p.m., the veteran officer was driving his Ford Ranger in Myrtle Beach when he accidentally hit a local nurse, Sandy Schultz-Peters, who was sitting on the beach.
The woman was reportedly pinned under the passenger side tire of a truck that had entered the beach from the Nash Street entrance and was struck head-on. Post and Courier. A frantic rescue effort was undertaken, including assistance from the driver and two emergency medical personnel who happened to be on the beach at the time, but Schultz-Peters later died in hospital.
Beachgoer dies after being hit by police vehicle on South Carolina beach
On the left is Sandy Schultz-Peters, who was hit and killed by a police truck in South Carolina, and on the right is the entrance to Myrtle Beach where the incident occurred. (Left: Sandy Schultz Peters via Facebook, right: Google Maps)
The fatal incident is being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) and raises questions about safety risks when parking trucks on beaches because of dangerous blind spots in front of the vehicle’s hood.
This incident is not the first involving officers in Horry County.
In 2020, a police officer struck a 69-year-old woman with his vehicle as she lay on the sand in Garden City. According to local reports, the officer said she was turning right into the beach entrance when a trash can blocked her view. The woman survived.
Aerial view of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at sunset. (iStock)
State Rep. William Bailey, a Republican and former North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Director, told Fox News Digital that as South Carolina beaches get more crowded, patrol trucks have less room to maneuver and that it’s time to take legislative action on the issue.
“At the end of the day, there’s no excuse for saying you need a big truck to take someone lying on a towel,” Bailey said. “You should get rid of big vehicles because their peripheral vision is awful.”
Bailey said police should use ATVs for patrols and trucks should only be used in emergencies, with sirens to alert beachgoers. He said today’s ATVs can effectively carry the same types of equipment as trucks, and when he was in charge of the city’s beach patrol, he tried to minimize the time trucks were on the beach.
two patrol trucks used by Horry County Police; (Horry County Police Department)
“This is a very tragic incident. Not only is it tragic for the family who lost a loved one, but it’s also tragic for the officers who were out there just doing their job. They’re affected for the rest of their lives by this accident,” Bailey said.
“So if our public safety officials understand the situation and understand there are other ways to safely perform their duties and it can have a positive impact, I think it’s a win-win for our community and for our state beaches.”
Republican state Rep. Tim McGinnis told Fox News Digital he’s open to supporting such a bill if public safety officials deem it necessary.
“I’m still in the investigation phase, but what happened is a tragedy and I want to do everything we can to prevent this from happening and at the same time have our police and public safety officials doing their jobs.”
People enjoy the beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on May 29, 2021 (Shawn Rayford/Getty Images)
Horry County police said they have reduced the use of trucks and increased patrols on foot and by ATV.
“Trucks remain essential for some calls for service due to specific emergency equipment and transportation needs of local residents,” the statement released on Friday, a week after the incident, read in part.
According to HCPD, Coast Patrol uses a variety of equipment, including trucks, ATVs, jet skis and boats, to patrol the county’s beaches, with the type of vehicle used being determined by the time of day, the type of vehicle being patrolled and how many people are on the beach at the time. The department’s jurisdiction stretches approximately 14 miles from Little River to Murrells Inlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to HCPD for comment but did not receive a response.
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Beachgoers gather in the Cherry Grove area on Saturday, May 29, 2021 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via The Associated Press)
Last year, the Palmetto State banned trucks from having their front fenders raised more than four inches above the rear fenders — known as the Carolina squat — because it obstructed drivers’ visibility and posed a hazard.
Concerns about the safety of patrol trucks aren’t unique to South Carolina beaches.
A Florida police sergeant struck two 18-year-old women in his patrol vehicle in Daytona Beach on Memorial Day, authorities said. The women were sunbathing at the time and were taken to a hospital in stable condition.
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In 2020, a Florida sheriff’s deputy ran over a woman who was sunbathing on St. Pete Beach, Florida. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
In 2020, police in Indian Shores, Florida, ran over a man who was lying on the beach listening to music on his phone. The man survived after spending two weeks in intensive care.
That same year, a Florida sheriff’s deputy struck a 23-year-old woman who was sunbathing in St. Pete Beach, Fla. The woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Meanwhile, in 2019, a 30-year-old woman sunbathing on Venice Beach was hit and injured by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car, CBS Los Angeles reported.
