Trendpills
The family of a 66-year-old woman who died after being run over by a police patrol vehicle on a South Carolina beach has filed a lawsuit against the Horry County Police Department and the officer involved. The incident occurred on June 13, 2024, when Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters was struck by a Ford Ranger patrol truck driven by Lance Cpl. Julian “Duke” Brown near the Nash Street beach access.
According to the lawsuit filed by the victim's family, the officer was distracted and failed to properly survey the area before driving onto the sand. The legal filing alleges the officer was negligent and had every opportunity to see Schultz-Peters but proceeded without ensuring the path was clear. Witnesses at the scene rushed to help and managed to get the truck off her, but she later died from her injuries. The lawsuit describes her final moments as filled with “conscious pain, suffering, and fear.”
An investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) provided further insight into the moments leading up to the tragedy. Documents from the investigation, including notes from dashcam footage, revealed details from the immediate aftermath of the crash. According to a trooper who arrived on the scene, other first responders reported that a tire from the patrol truck was on top of Schultz-Peters’s chest when they found her. Cpl. Brown is now referred to as a “former” officer in official reports.
In response to the fatal incident, the Horry County Police Department has reportedly implemented new safety protocols for beach patrols to prevent similar events in the future. The lawsuit seeks to hold the department and the former officer accountable for what the family's attorneys describe as a reckless disregard for public safety. The Horry County Police Department has formally responded to the lawsuit, though specific details of its defense have not been widely publicized. The legal proceedings are ongoing.
