Motorcycle driver drank ‘heavily' before North Myrtle Beach crash that killed passenger, report says
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A man whose motorcycle crashed early Sunday morning and killed his passenger in North Myrtle Beach was allegedly drinking alcohol 'heavily' before the incident, according to police reports obtained by News13.
Jessica Woodall, 40, of Laurinburg, died from blunt force trauma at the scene of the crash, which occurred on the Highway 17 north off-ramp at Sea Mountain Highway, the Horry County Coroner's Office said. It happened shortly before 2 a.m.
Officers responded to the area and found a man lying in the ground next to the curb, who was bleeding from his head and 'appeared severely injured,' an incident report shows. Woodall was found lying in the grass and had 'grave' injuries to her head and body. The motorcycle was also seen 'mangled' on the shoulder.
The report shows a witness told officers that he was in the bar district of Main Street with the driver. The witness also believed the driver was consuming Xanax.
Authorities determined through an investigation that the driver was traveling more than 100 mph onto the ramp from Highway 17 North toward Sea Mountain Highway, the report shows. The driver attempted to stop, leaving 74 feet of skidmarks before hitting the raised island, seriously injuring himself and killing Woodall.
The motorcycle then flipped over an additional three lanes of Sea Mountain Highway, the report said. Authorities also found a bottle of vodka in the debris of the crash and believe the driver was 'appreciably impaired' at the time of the crash and is 'believed to be the sole contributor' to it.
Authorities did not obtain field sobriety tests or a breath sample because of the driver's injuries, the report said. His condition was not immediately available.
* * *
Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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