Pic captures beachgoer minutes before she was run over by Horry police truck. Woman named
Horry County Police have said in a statement released Friday that they, along with the community, have questions as to how a beachgoer was run over by a beach patrol truck.
One question is whether the beachgoer was located in an area that was designated for beach patrol vehicles only.
Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters, 66, of Myrtle Beach, died of injuries sustained upon being struck by a vehicle while on the beach, according to the Horry County Coroner’s Office.
Schultz-Peters died after she was run over by an Horry County beach patrol officer Thursday near the Nash Street Beach access outside Myrtle Beach. She was sitting on the beach reading before she was hit, according to witnesses.
The woman was sitting some distance from the orange cones which mark the designated lane for beach patrol vehicles to travel, according to Ruddy Bumgardner, one of the people who helped lift the truck off of the woman after she was hit.
Horry County spokesperson Mikayla Moskov would not answer questions about the accident, only saying by email that the police statement was all that would be released at the time. The name of the officer involved also was not released.
According to an Horry County ordinance regarding beaches, public safety officials may create zones that restrict beachfront activities in areas that may pose a danger to the “health, life or safety of any person.”
The ordinance says the zones must be marked with flags, buoys or signs. The beach patrol vehicle lanes at the Nash Street beach access outside of Myrtle Beach and near Springmaid Pier are marked with orange cones.
The Horry County Police statement said that South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
Bumgardner and his wife own a condo near the Nash Street access. They said the victim often came to the beach.
A photo believed to show the woman sitting on the beach and the Horry County Police truck nearby was captured just seconds or minutes before the accident occurred. The photo was taken at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Bumgardner heard a loud scream and then saw people running up to the truck. He said the tire on the passenger side of the truck was on top of the woman. Her beach chair had been crushed.
The officer in the truck also helped and rendered aid to the woman, Bumgardner said.
“It’s unfortunate,” Bumgardner said. “I still don’t understand how he could be distracted. ... It’s a tragic situation.”
Lance Cpl. Lena Butler with the SCHP said in a release that the accident happened about 1:07 p.m. on the beach near Nash Street. The victim was taken to Grand Strand Medical Center where they died, Butler said in the release. The officer was traveling northbound from Nash Street onto the beach when the beachgoer was struck.
SCHP officers were at the scene Friday conducting an investigation. Officers were flying a drone to get photos of the beach.
Horry County Police will be conducting an internal investigation, the statement said. “What occurred on the beach yesterday was a tragedy and we know our community is hurting. Our hearts are with all those impacted by this loss,” the statement said. “We also know our community has questions. We do too.”
