Latest news with #SouthCarolinaDepartmentofPublicSafety
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
One dead, two injured in Anderson Co. crash
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – One person was reported dead following a crash in Anderson County, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS). At 12:20 a.m., authorities were called out to US 76 at Rice Street, approximately 1 mile east of Anderson. The SCDPS stated that a 2002 Honda Accord was traveling west on US 76, when the car traveled off the right side of the road and struck a tree. Upon arrival, three occupants were found in the vehicle. All three occupants were sent to a nearby hospital, where one succumbed to their injuries. The identity of the deceased has not been released at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Spartanburg County leads state in traffic fatalities
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – More people have been killed on Spartanburg County roadways this year than anywhere else in the state, according to state officials. On Monday South Carolina Department of Public Safety released data showing year-to-date totals of traffic fatalities in every South Carolina county. According to the data as of Sunday, 251 people have died on South Carolina roadways. Of those, 25 traffic fatalities were reported in Spartanburg County, slightly more than 22 reported in Horry County and more than double the 12 fatalities reported in Greenville County so far this year. Spartanburg County has seen six traffic deaths in two weeks, including an incident in which three high school students died in a wreck involving a tractor-trailer. At the same time last year, Spartanburg County had reported 19 fatalities, while Greenville County led the state with 34. Statewide, traffic fatalities are trending downward. By the same time last year, South Carolina reported 329 fatalities, and 331 were reported at the same time in 2023. Notably, Union County is one of only five counties to have reported no traffic fatalities this year, down from six in 2023. Last week the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office hosted training sessions with high school students to demonstrate the dangers of distracted or impaired driving. Students used vision-impairing goggles and drove carts to demonstrate the dangers of driving under the influence. Every year, state officials warn of the 100 deadly days of summer – the span of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day – in which deadly driving accidents tend to increase. The start of that 100-day span is four weeks away. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hands-free driving bill advances through South Carolina House
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Distracted driving contributes to tens of thousands of traffic crashes in South Carolina each year, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. A bill aimed at curbing that statistic and traffic fatalities more generally is again moving through the state legislature. The House passed H.3276, which would ban drivers from holding a cellphone and other types of mobile electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle, in an 85-25 vote Wednesday. It would not apply to first responders responding to an emergency or drivers who are reporting a crash or other safety hazard to law enforcement. Motorists would still be able to make calls using an earpiece, wrist-worn device, or other voice-based communication applications. Advocates have been pushing for the legislation for years, but it never gained enough traction to reach the governor's desk. The threat of losing federal highway funding could now change that. 'We're under a mandate either do a hands-free bill or we'll potentially lose in excess of $50 million over two years in highway funding,' said Rep. Bill Taylor (R-Aiken), a longtime champion of the legislation. The bill expands the state's existing prohibition on texting while driving, making it unlawful to hold or support a mobile device 'with any part of the body' – a particular sticking point for some. 'Your phone could be sitting in your lap, and you're going to get pulled and you're going to get a ticket, and you're going to get a fine,' said Rep. Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston). Taylor disagreed with that interpretation. 'I don't think a police officer, you know, can look over the window and down into their lap and pull them over for that because that's a little awkward, so they would have to have it where they can see it,' he said. An amendment adopted Wednesday added probable cause language into the statute, requiring law enforcement to have a 'clear, unobstructed view' of a person using the device in a hand-held manner before stopping them. 600% jump in SNAP scams in 3 months: Is DSS doing enough to protect EBT card holders? Then, there was the issue of what punishment violators should face. As written, a driver could be fined up to $100 for a first offense, with the penalty increasing to $200 for subsequent offenses. Those found in violation would also be docked two points on their driving record, a provision Taylor argued serves as the 'only real deterrent' to distracted driving. But one lawmaker who wanted even stronger penalties questioned why distracted driving should cost only two points, referencing the current breakdown of how points are assigned. In South Carolina, an offense such as shifting lanes without a signal carries two points, whereas reckless driving is a six-point violation. Once a driver accumulates 12 points, their license is suspended. 'I would assume that while I'm riding down the street…that would be considered reckless driving,' Rep. Jermaine Johnson (D-Richland) argued. The impact on car insurance rates was another concern raised by lawmakers during Wednesday's debate. While insurance companies do not directly use license points to calculate premiums, they do look at a person's driving record, including crash history and traffic violations. 'Is punishment having your insurance company raise your premiums?' Rep. Seth Rose (D-Richland) questioned. Rose proposed an amendment that would prevent the 'extra step' of notifying an insurance company of a violation. 'I believe that a two-point citation and the increased penalties that we have in the bill is [sic] sufficient for what we're trying to do,' Rose said, adding the amendment would bring the bill in line with preexisting language. The bill is expected to get a third reading Thursday. It will then go to the Senate, where a similar measure was passed in 2022 but never made it to the House floor. If approved by the governor, South Carolina would join more than two dozen states and Washington, D.C., in adopting a so-called 'hands-free' law. The law would take effect one year after it is signed and allow for a 180-day grace period. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Greenville Co. highway renamed for state trooper killed while on duty
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A Greenville County Highway has been renamed in honor of a state trooper who died in the line of duty. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the SC Highway Patrol held a dedication ceremony on Friday dedicated part of SC-183 between Sulphur Springs Road and Ridge Road to Albert T. Sealy Jr., a highway patrol trooper who died in the line of duty in 1950. As part of the dedication, the state unveiled and installed signs dedicating the stretch of highway as the SCHP Patrolman Albert T. Sealy Jr. Memorial Highway. According to the Department of Public Safety, Sealey was on duty in Greenville County on Ocotober 5, 1950 when he crashed into a tanker truck during a pursuit. He died at the scene, making him the 14th South Carolina state trooper to die while on duty. 'Patrolman Albert Sealy Jr. served with honor and distinction, and today's ceremony and dedication will cement his service, sacrifice, and memory in Greenville County,' SCDPS Director Robert G. Woods IV, said. 'And while we can never repay the families of these fallen troopers for their sacrifices through the years, small acts like this one today are just one way of saying, 'We have not forgotten, and will not forget.'' Born in Lancaster in 1927, Sealey served in the Navy during World War II, then joined the highway patrol in 1948. He was buried at the Lancaster Memorial Park in Lancaster, and was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in 1986. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
