Beachgoers happy to see fewer trucks on Horry County beaches after woman’s death

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — News13 is continuing its four-part series looking into the vehicles used by different Grand Strand law enforcement agencies on the beach after a Myrtle Beach woman’s death last month.

Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters, 66, was hit and killed on June 13 by an Horry County police pickup truck near the Nash Street beach access.

Many beachgoers all shared the same concerns when it comes to trucks driving along the beach. They said with last month’s deadly incident, changes need to be made.

“You have people that are here relaxing and probably taking a nap and not paying attention to their surroundings,” Myrtle Beach resident Darrell Banks said. “If anything, they should turn their lights on or use some kind of horn to let people know they are accessing the beach.”

Many people said they were happy to see fewer trucks on the beach, however, they did notice more cones set up.

“When I first came in and saw the cones, I figured it was a safety precaution, which is great,” vacationer Audrey Heath said. “That’s really great, especially given that when you’re riding the truck, I’m assuming they’re paying more attention to the people. So, you know, it gives them a guide to be cautious about their surroundings.”

News13 reached out to an Horry County official about any new protocols being implemented on the beach, but we have not received any information.

News13 did, however, speak to Matt Warne, the city beach manager for Lack’s Beach Service, who said they’ve implemented some changes following the incident, including more cones on the beach.

“We’ve definitely added up quite a few extra in the last couple of weeks,” Warne said. “Especially in some places like 16th Avenue South, because that’s our main entrance and exit from the beach for lifeguards and beach attendants, as well as our vehicles. So, it just blocks it all better so people don’t have to sit in that area.”

He said with more cones, it will be a better indicator to beachgoers to avoid sitting in that designated area. They have also added emergency access signs so they have clear access to the water in case of an emergency.

Warne said they installed cameras on the front of their trucks, and have made other changes for the safety of those on the beach.

“We have designated drive land that’s marked off with the cones. We’ve also installed front cameras on the front of our trucks and backup alarms,” Warne said. “If we are backing up, it makes more noise and causes people to look at us and see what’s going on.”

News13 asked Horry County police for any update on the investigation. We were told no comment and were referred to South Carolina Highway Patrol, who has not issued an update in their investigation since naming the officer more than two weeks ago.

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Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook , Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & read more of her work here .

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