Police in South Carolina have reduced the use of trucks for beach patrols after a 66-year-old woman was tragically killed earlier this month. A local lawmaker plans to propose a law banning large vehicles on the sand, except in emergencies.
A longtime officer was driving a Ford Ranger on Myrtle Beach on June 13 when he accidentally ran over Sandy Schultz-Peters, a local nurse sitting on the beach around 1 p.m., according to reports. She was struck from the front and pinned under the front passenger side tire of the truck as it pulled onto the beach from the Nash Street access, as reported by The Post and Courier. Despite frantic efforts to save her, including help from the driver and two paramedics on the beach, Schultz-Peters later died in the hospital.
The incident is being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Horry County Police Department (HCPD). It has raised concerns about the safety risks of having trucks on beaches due to dangerous blind spots in front of the vehicles’ hoods.
This isn’t the first incident involving an officer in Horry County. In 2020, an officer drove over a 69-year-old woman lying on the sand in Garden City. The officer claimed his view was blocked by trash cans while turning onto the beach access. The woman survived.
State Rep. William Bailey, a Republican and former North Myrtle Beach public safety director, told Fox News Digital that with busier beaches, there is less room to maneuver patrol trucks, and legislative action is necessary.
“It’s indefensible to say you need a full-size truck down there with people lying on towels,” Bailey says. “We need to eliminate full-size vehicles – the peripheral vision is terrible.”
Bailey suggests using ATVs for patrols and reserving trucks for emergencies with sirens to alert beachgoers. He noted that modern ATVs can carry the same equipment as trucks, and during his tenure managing the city’s beach patrol, he minimized truck hours on the beach.
“It’s a tragic event, not only for the family that lost their loved one but also for the officers involved,” Bailey said. “Once public safety understands there are safer ways to do their job, it’ll be a win-win for our community and state beaches.”
State Rep. Tim McGinnis, a Republican, is open to supporting such legislation if public safety officials deem it necessary.
“I’m in the investigation stage, and this is a tragic event. Anything we can do to prevent it while allowing police and public safety to do their jobs is what I want,” McGinnis said.
The Horry County Police Department has reduced truck use and increased foot and ATV patrols.
“Trucks remain critical for some calls due to certain emergency equipment and community member transportation needs,” HCPD stated, adding that their beach patrol unit uses trucks, ATVs, jet skis, and boats depending on the time of day, type of service, and beach crowd.
Fox News Digital reached out to HCPD for comment but did not receive a response.
Last year, South Carolina banned trucks from having front fenders raised four or more inches higher than their rear fender, known as the Carolina Squat, due to the dangers of obstructed views.
Patrol truck safety concerns extend beyond South Carolina beaches. A police sergeant in Florida ran over two 18-year-old females with a patrol truck at Daytona Beach on Memorial Day. They were sunbathing and were hospitalized in stable condition.
In 2020, Indian Shores Police in Florida ran over a man lying on the beach listening to music. He survived after two weeks in intensive care. That same year, a Florida sheriff’s deputy ran over a 23-year-old woman sunbathing on St. Pete Beach, causing non-life-threatening injuries.
In 2019, a 30-year-old female sunbather was injured after being hit by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol cruiser on Venice Beach, CBS Los Angeles reported.