6 days ago
1 dead, 1 rescued after jumping from bridge after Georgetown Co. chase
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A man drowned while another woman was rescued after both leapt from a Highway 41 bridge in an attempt to evade law enforcement, the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office said on Saturday.
Authorities attempted to stop the couple's car after discovering its tag was listed as stolen. The suspects drove west on Highmarket Street to St. Delight Road and Highway 41 toward Berkeley County.
Leaving the vehicle in drive, they stopped on a bridge over the Santee River and jumped. The moving car then hit a sheriff's office unit while swift currents pulled both people under the bridge.
A passerby in a boat picked up a deputy, who removed the woman as she was struggling to swim. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office dive team assisted in a search for the man, whose body was later recovered.
The man's identity is being withheld pending notification of family, authorities said.
Law enforcement agencies from Dorchester and Berkeley counties, the state Department of Natural Resources, Georgetown County Sheriff' Office Marine Unit and the Georgetown County Coroner's Office assisted.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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