Man charged in deadly Myrtle Beach hit-and-run involving pedestrian
John Stokes was charged with traffic/hit-and-run, duties of driver involved in accident with death after he admitted to hitting an 'object' in the road, not stopping, and continuing to his destination, an arrest warrant said.
Stokes was contacted after his vehicle was identified and he voluntarily agreed to an interview.
The incident happened at about 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of 10th Ave. South and Kings Highway. During the investigation, the road was closed from 9th Avenue S. to 13th Avenue S., police said in a Facebook post.
Count on News13 for updates.
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Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Motor 1
2 hours ago
- Motor 1
‘That's Exactly Why:' Florida Driver Gets Stuck Behind Toyota That Won't Turn on Green Light. She Says It's an Insurance Scam
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Snooks believes she caught the RAV4 driver attempting to frame her for an accident. 'Here's another insurance scam,' she pens. She honks at the car, but it remains motionless. After sounding her horn several times, she leans on the steering wheel, emitting a constant stream of noise at the RAV4. She can be heard laughing as she continues to record. 'I don't care,' Snooks says as her video comes to a close. Her TikTok has accrued over 708,000 views as of this writing. Florida: Scam Central Gulf Live reported in October 2024 that the Sunshine State is a hotbed for con jobs. The outlet cited statistics gathered by Investor Loss Center , which placed the state as 'the country's ultimate frontier of fraud.' Trending Now 'Her Insurance Card Is on Her Phone:' Range Rover Driver Gets Rear-Ended. Then the Person Tries to 'Gaslight' Her Over Damage Texas Woman Gets Scammed Out of $30,000 During Facebook Marketplace Truck Purchase. Here's What She Overlooked According to data, there were 1,020 reports of scams for every 100,000 residents. The most common cases of fraudulent activity were rooted in what the website referred to as 'impostor' scams. There are other types of dubious claims made by Floridians as well. Florida Daily writes that the area has only seen a rise in 'staged accidents' throughout 2024, too. Mike Friedlander, a rep for the Insurance Information Institute, told the outlet that 'unscrupulous actors are increasingly capitalizing on busy roadways.' He added that they're staging 'collisions and cash in on insurance payouts, particularly in high-traffic states.' These false reports aren't just affecting insurance companies. They're impacting drivers as well. Friedlander purportedly said consumers are paying between $100 and $300 extra in annual premiums due to such scams. The same article said that Florida's increase in auto insurance fraud and subsequent premium upticks are second only to New York and California. Florida Daily quoted Friedlander as saying that multiple entities often work together in order to extricate money from insurance companies and the drivers they cover. 'These criminals are also working in collaboration with unscrupulous medical professionals,' Friedlander remarked. He said injury clinics and attorneys are often in on the con. He said these fraudulent reports amount to expenditures of around $20 billion every year. Common Collision Scams The Department of Motor Vehicles posted a list of staged accidents that con artists routinely try to lure unsuspecting drivers into. One known as the 'swoop and stop' involves multiple vehicles. 'A car will suddenly pull in front of yours and stop,' the DMV writes. 'Another vehicle will simultaneously pull up alongside your car, preventing you from swerving to avoid an accident.' The DMV also says people will brake-check drivers behind them in an attempt to get rear-ended. Scammers may also try to T-Bone your car at an intersection while phony witnesses known as "shady helpers" are in the area, the DMV reports. These witnesses will pretend to be helpers and report to officers that you were the one at fault for the accident. The DMV additionally writes that sometimes drivers will wait in front of you and then wave you around. Then, when you attempt to pass them in the same lane, they accelerate. When the cops show up, the driver will deny ever waving you ahead and try to pin the accident on you, the DMV warns. The DMV suggests immediately notifying the police in the event of an accident and gathering as much information about the other driver, damage, and conditions. Get their driver's license number, vehicle registration info, car insurance provider, and name, address, and phone number. It may be a good idea to get their general height, weight, and ethnicity. And take pictures of the damage on both vehicles along with multiple angles of the scene. The DMV further recommends never settling accidents outside of insurance. 'Don't ever settle on site with cash; always report the accident to your car insurance company, and let them know if you suspect a scam,' it writes. Experts advise that one of the best tools for combatting insurance scams is a dashboard camera, particularly one that records multiple angles. If you have to go to court to dispute false claims made by a scammer, video and audio can provide potentially indisputable evidence to counter their lies. Capitalizing on Road Rage Numerous folks who responded to Snooks' video believed the driver in front of her was indeed attempting insurance fraud. 'That's exactly why their car looks like that,' one TikToker penned. Another wrote, 'Yall must not live in bigger cities here in Florida. This is 1000% someone trying to rage bait people behind them to then possibly get money from their insurance. Very common.' Someone else who said they also live in Tampa relayed that this type of behavior is par for the course for accident scammers. 'If you aren't from Tampa you don't get an opinion,' they said. 'That is an insurance scam and it's clear. No one knows how to [expletive] drive here.' This TikToker echoed the aforementioned sentiment, penning, 'If you live in Tampa and don't drive with a dash cam you're risking it.' Motor1 has reached out to Snooks via TikTok comment for further information. We'll update this article if she responds. More From Motor1 'Instead of Paying $300:' Woman Buys Toyota. Then She Buys Keyfob for $12 Off Amazon and Programs It Herself 'Quick Sue the Sun:' Toyota RAV4 Driver Parks Car in Front of House. Then It Starts Melting Insurers uncover 300 false claims every day as motor scams increase 'I've Never Heard of This:' Customer Rents Tesla in Florida. Then Hertz Worker Says Something Shocking About Electric Vehicles Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )


Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Suffering dog was ‘dragged through a store' unresponsive. He needs a new home
A dog in Nevada is on the mend and learning to be more trusting after being in critical condition due to supposed heat stroke. According to The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas, Animal Protection Services was called to a scene at a grocery store where a 5-year-old dog named Baby Gage was found unresponsive, where witnesses 'saw him dragged through a store' and 'left in critical condition,' the shelter said in a July 22 Facebook post. Allison Ford, an employee for The Animal Foundation told McClatchy News, that Gage was left in the store during a smothering heat wave. 'A customer reported seeing him being dragged by his previous owner, though surveillance footage did not capture this directly, and the reporting party left before officers arrived,' the APS stated in its report, Ford said. 'What we can confirm is that when officers made contact, Baby Gage was lying on his side, not moving, and warm to the touch. His paw pads were raw and bleeding despite wearing booties, and he was showing signs consistent with heat stroke.' Ford said the pup's owner was unhoused and couldn't afford the care needed to help Gage, so he made the decision to surrender his dog in order to get help. 'Today, Baby Gage is doing so much better — he's made incredible progress and is slowly learning to trust again,' Ford said. 'He still shows signs of timidity, but once he warms up, he's affectionate, goofy, and truly a staff favorite.' Gage is a lovable pup who enjoys toys and bully rubs, his pet profile says. 'He walks beautifully on leash and lights up with every bit of praise—tell him he's a good boy, and you'll make his whole day!' his profile describes. 'Baby Gage thrives on encouragement, affection, and playtime, and he's eager to find someone who'll cheer him on as much as he'll cheer up your life.' Heatstroke signs in pets Pets should not be outside during the summer for even a short amount of time or their body temperature may rise to 106 degrees and could go into multiple organ failure if it rises higher. Signs of heatstroke in pets, per VCA Animal Hospitals, include: Elevated breathingAbnormal gum colorSleepinessDisorientationSeizures For more information on adoptable pets, visit the shelter's website.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Disproving alleged transcript of McConnell and Kevin McCarthy discussing 'bringing back slavery'
In late July 2025, internet users shared videos of people listening to an unidentified voice reading out a purported transcript of a phone call between two Republican politicians, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. In the call, McConnell and McCarthy allegedly discussed bringing back slavery, creating state-funded religious schools, banning abortion, stemming immigration and the forced impregnation of eighth-graders. We found no credible evidence that the transcript was authentic or that any such conversation between McConnell and McCarthy ever took place. The claim is unfounded. In late July 2025, videos circulated on TikTok showing internet users listening to an audio clip (archived) of a voice reading an alleged transcript of a phone call between Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The two Republican politicians supposedly discussed banning abortion, stemming immigration, creating state-funded religious schools, bringing back slavery, and the forced impregnation of eighth graders. @karressmarie4 Part 23 | The plan the whole time. ♬ original sound - Tweet ♐️ SAGITTARIUS LESBIAN The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived), X (archived), Instagram (archived), Threads (archived), YouTube and Reddit (archived). Snopes readers also wrote in to ask if the transcript featured in the videos was authentic. We found no evidence whatsoever that the audio clip or transcript represented an authentic conversation between McConnell and McCarthy. We found no reputable news sources reporting the "leaked" transcript (archived, archived, archived, archived), which would have been extremely newsworthy if true. Though McConnell and McCarthy both previously voted against federal protections for abortion, a common opinion for their party, neither had publicly expressed opinions or plans that aligned with the other supposed policy points like slavery and state-funded religious education allegedly discussed on the call. We reached out to representatives for McConnell and McCarthy to ask if the transcript read out in the videos was genuine and await replies to our queries. The full transcript of the alleged phone call, which an unidentified voice read out, was as follows: OK, so I got the transcripts. Mitch: We have to bring slavery back. Those were the good old days. Kevin: How will we do that, there's no way we can do that. Mitch: Black people won't do it but white people will. Kevin: How will we get white people to be slaves? That sounds ridiculous. Mitch: We have to get rid of the separation of church and state. We must have state-funded religious schools. Kevin: I don't see where you're getting at. Mitch: Those schools will have work programs for fourth through eighth graders. Kevin: Ah, I think I see where you're going here. How is that going to work? Mitch: We get the kids to be — to pick all the produce as a part of their work program to teach them the values of good, old-fashioned blue-collar labor and the bounty of God. Kevin: I don't think that anyone will go for that. Mitch: It's all about grooming, start in the first grade and by fourth grade they'll be ready to do it. Kevin: But we already have people to pick the produce. Mitch: We have to finish the wall. Kevin: No way that's going to happen. Mitch: We find better ways to get the immigrants out of the United States. Kevin: Like doubling ICE? Mitch: Yes. Kevin: This will be too busy, too hard and we'll be too busy trying to sustain this over long periods of time and generations. Mitch: No, we get rid of the abortion laws in the United States and we make it mandatory that all eighth-grade females be impregnated in order to graduate. Kevin: Oh, like replacing the crops. Ha ha ha. Pun intended. Also Kevin: I will work on getting the abortion ban, you work on state-funded religious schools. Mitch: We don't have to do either. Lindsey and I took care of that with the new SCOTUS. "Lindsey" was an apparent reference to Lindsey Graham, the senior senator from South Carolina and a fellow Republican. "SCOTUS" is a common abbreviation for the Supreme Court of the United States. The versions of the alleged phone call shared online were scant on details about when the conversation supposedly took place. Some said the recording was from July 2022, but did not back up this claim. Online postings contained no further information about who leaked the alleged call or why. McConnell and McCarthy on abortion, slavery, school choice As stated above, Snopes found no evidence that the alleged call between McConnell and McCarthy was real, nor did the call seem to reflect the politicians' publicly expressed opinions. McConnell and McCarthy both voted against the Women's Health Protection Act, which would "prohibit governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services." The bill passed the House in 2021 but failed in the Senate in 2022. Since then, McConnell has said that abortion should be dealt with at a state rather than a federal level. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a nonprofit that seeks to reduce and ultimately end abortion in the U.S., rated both McConnell and McCarthy "A+." Both McConnell and McCarthy have historically opposed slavery, a central theme of the alleged call, on their social media accounts. McCarthy spoke (archived) of the "evils" of slavery in 2019. That same year, McConnell wrote (archived) about "slavery's stain on our history" on X. However, McConnell did previously oppose the idea of reparations for slavery, saying in 2019 he didn't think "reparations for something that happened 150 years ago, for whom none of us currently living are responsible, is a good idea." Lastly, McConnell allegedly advocated for "state funded religious schools" in the phone call transcript. These schools, he allegedly argued, would be the basis for the renewed slavery project, as students would participate in work programs. In reality, McConnell has historically been a strong advocate for school choice, co-authoring an opinion piece in 2013 that argued "Choice breeds competition — which is the best way to improve schools," an opinion that would seemingly be at odds with advocating for forced attendance at state-funded schools. This was not the first rumor Snopes has investigated about either McConnell or McCarthy. For example, we previously looked into claims that McConnell said he would not participate in 2020 election debates that included female moderators and that a photo authentically showed McCarthy watching himself lose a vote for speaker of the House. Blad, Evie. "Senate GOP Sticks to School Choice Push in Slimmed Down Relief Proposal." Education Week, 8 Sep. 2020. Chu, Judy. "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021." 6 Aug. 2021, Huffington Post: Op-Ed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Sens. Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Tim Scott and Lamar Alexander: School Choice: Part of the Solution to Our Broken Education System | The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. 29 Jul. 2013, "McConnell Equates His Ancestors' Slave Ownership to Obama's." AP News, 9 Jul. 2019, "mitch Mcconnell" AND "We Have to Bring Slavery Back. Those Were the Good Old Days." - Google Search. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. "mitch Mcconnell" AND "We Have to Bring Slavery Back. Those Were the Good Old Days." - Search News. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. "mitch Mcconnell" AND "We Have to Bring Slavery Back. Those Were the Good Old Days." - Yahoo Search Results. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. "mitch Mcconnell" AND "We Have to Bring Slavery Back. Those Were the Good Old Days." at DuckDuckGo. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. "Rep. Kevin McCarthy | National Pro-Life Scorecard." SBA Pro-Life America, Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. "Sen. Mitch McConnell | National Pro-Life Scorecard." SBA Pro-Life America, Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. @SenMcConnell. "With the Nation, Congress Looks Back to 1619 and Remembers the Size and Scope of Slavery's Stain on Our History. ." X, 10 Sep. 2019, @SpeakerMcCarthy. "It's Been 400 Years since the Evils of Slavery First Occurred in America. ." X, 10 Sep. 2025, U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025. Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154, and DC 20515-6601 p:225-7000. "Roll Call 295 Roll Call 295, Bill Number: H. R. 3755, 117th Congress, 1st Session." Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, 24 Sep. 2021, Yang, Maya. "Mitch McConnell Refuses to Say Whether He Supports a US National Abortion Ban." The Guardian, 28 Apr. 2024. The Guardian, ---. "Mitch McConnell Refuses to Say Whether He Supports a US National Abortion Ban." The Guardian, 28 Apr. 2024. The Guardian, Solve the daily Crossword