Woman fatally struck by police vehicle on South Carolina beach

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. ( WBTW ) — A South Carolina police officer is on administrative leave after a beachgoer was struck and killed by a police vehicle on Thursday.

According to authorities in Horry County, 66-year-old Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters of Myrtle Beach was hit by the police pickup truck shortly after 1 p.m. in the Myrtle Beach area.

The truck was traveling north on the beach when it hit Schultz-Peters, who was facing east, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

Despite efforts to save her, Schultz-Peters was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

A man who was there when the incident happened described the moments surrounding the chaotic scene.

“From my point of view, I had my back turned. I heard somebody yell, ‘There’s somebody that’s been run over,'” Dennis Miller told Nexstar’s WBTW. “We run over here, and yeah, there’s a lady on the ground and there’s a truck on top of her.”

“What occurred on the beach yesterday was a tragedy and we know our community is hurting,” the Horry County Police Department said in the statement. “Our hearts are with all those impacted by this loss. We also know our community has questions. We do too.

“We have a responsibility to ensure the investigations — both external and internal — occur without delay or interference. Horry County Police Department is providing any access and information that South Carolina Highway Patrol may require to complete their investigation. At this time, the officer involved is on administrative leave. We stand ready to provide what support we can to our community and the family experiencing this tragic loss.”

On Friday, a team of highway patrol investigators was near the beach access using a drone to gather aerial footage and other documentation.

No other information was immediately available.

This isn’t the first time an incident like this has happened on a Horry County beach. In 2020, a person was hit by a Horry County police patrol car while lying on the beach in Garden City.

The latest incident, however, has prompted lawmakers to call for change.

“There’s just no room on the coast for the sunbathers and people who are coming down to enjoy our area, and also have F-150s and other vehicles when we have other resources that we could depend on,” state Rep. William Bailey (R-Little River), told WBTW on Saturday.

Bailey, a former North Myrtle Beach public safety director, said he’d like to see a prohibition on full-sized vehicles being used on the beach during peak summer hours in non-emergency situations.

“In light of this tragedy, certainly we should be looking at, ‘are we doing it the right way,’” Bailey said. “Just patrolling (with full-sized vehicles) on the oceanfront when there are thousands and thousands of people, it’s just not worth the risk.”

State Rep. Tim McGinnis (R-Myrtle Beach), told WBTW he’d also support efforts to better regulate the use of full-sized vehicles on the beach.

“I am interested in talking with law enforcement and safety officials about legislation to prevent this from happening again,” he said in a text message. “What happened was a tragedy, and if there’s a way we can make it safer on our beaches, we need to do it.”

WBTW’s Adam Benson and Hannah Huffstickler contributed to this report.

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