Horry County authorities seize 25 pounds of fentanyl after pursuit, crash on Highway 17 Bypass
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County authorities seized more than 25 pounds of fentanyl with a street value of more than $1 million Thursday afternoon after a pursuit that ended with a crash near Pine Island Road in Myrtle Beach.
Charges are pending against the driver, who was hurt and taken to the hospital after crashing into other vehicles, Horry County police said Friday morning in a Facebook post. At least one bystander was hurt.
The incident began at about 4 p.m. when an officer tried to stop a pickup truck for traffic violations near Fantasy Harbor Boulevard and Forestbrook Road. Police said the driver fled and 'was seen repeatedly throwing packages from the window of the vehicle' and 'driving erratically' during the pursuit.
Police were able to retrieve the items that were thrown from the vehicle, which amounted to 25.3 pounds of fentanyl. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, one kilogram of the drug can produce up to 1.5 pill dosages and has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
'Long story short — a lot of people could and would be harmed if these drugs were left out in the community,' HCPD said in the Facebook post.
A South Carolina Department of Transportation traffic camera showed emergency crews on the scene and the northbound lanes of Highway 17 Bypass blocked near Harrelson Boulevard and the Coastal Grand Mall.
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Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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