It seems there are always accidents during Memorial Day weekend, and some of them can be deadly. This year, there were 12 fatalities on South Carolina roads during the holiday weekend and six of them happened in one place — Horry County, which includes Myrtle Beach. Despite the yearly campaigns warning drivers about the possibility of a motorcycle, boat or car accident, they still happen and people still die.
Interestingly, all six of the people that died in Horry County were on motorcycles. Within the city limits of Myrtle Beach, five of those six were killed in three separate crashes, two of which were still under investigation as of the date of this writing. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety records that more motorcycle riders died this Memorial Day than in 2011 or 2012.
As for the three crashes in Myrtle Beach, one happened when a motorcycle lost control and veered into an oncoming vehicle. Another happened when a van that fled the scene turned in front of a motorcycle that was unable to stop. The third occurred when an SUV turned in front of a motorcycle as well. The fourth accident was not in Myrtle Beach and happened when a motorcycle failed to slow down for traffic that had slowed down in front of him.
Rarely do holidays such as Memorial Day go by without news of at least one car accident, let alone six deaths all attributed to motorcycle accidents. Losing a family member is difficult enough, but when a loved one dies on a holiday, it can make it hard to enjoy the day for years to come. The families of some of the victims may exercise their right to file a wrongful death claim against the party or parties deemed responsible for the accidents that killed their loved ones.
Source: myrtlebeachonline.com, “Half of fatalities over deadly SC Memorial Day weekend were in Myrtle Beach area,” Tonya Root, May 28, 2013
Steven Krause is a personal injury, auto accident, and workers’ compensation lawyer who practices in Anderson, SC. He graduated form the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law and has been practicing law for 40 years now. Steven Krause believes in fighting for the injured. Learn more about his experience here.