A 46-year-old man has been charged with hit-and-run after he struck and killed another man while he was walking on the sidewalk along Lake Murray Boulevard in Irmo, South Carolina. The pedestrian was pronounced dead on the scene.
The driver was charged with felony driving under the influence; according to police the suspect was driving a 2006 Land Rover eastbound when it struck the pedestrian who was walking westbound. The pedestrian was walking along the sidewalk, according to the police report.
According to the police, witnesses report that the suspect allegedly had been weaving across the road just before the collision. The man is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center.
In South Carolina, a person will be charged with a felony for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both; and, while operating the vehicle under the influence, the person causes “great bodily injury” or death to a person other than himself including a passenger, pedestrian, and/or another driver.
Great bodily injury is defined by the state of South Carolina as bodily injury, which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious or permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. Further, if the injured person dies from related complications within three years of the DUI-related injury, the driver may be implicated in the death.
If you or someone you know has been charged with DUI or Felony DUI, it is extremely important for you obtain competent representation as soon as possible. At the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP we have over 75 years of combined experience in dealing with criminal clients, and we are here to assist you. For a consultation, call our Baxter Village office in Fort Mill, South Carolina at 803-548-4444 or toll-free at 877-374-5999.