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4 days ago
- Lifestyle
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How does Myrtle Beach's weekend traffic control work? What we saw downtown
As tourists converge on downtown Myrtle Beach for the summer, the city has implemented its 'flushing' traffic control to keep Ocean Boulevard moving. 'I understand why they have it,' said Uber driver Darin Shaw. 'It's kind of just to help so it's not all clustered, because there'll be over 50 cars, just going in a row. They're all going one mile per hour, and everybody's trying to show off their car.' According to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Summer Emergency Vehicle Access Plan re-routes traffic to improve response times, increase visibility and allow officers to address concerns. 'It's nice if they can travel back and forth, the cops have a much faster response time for, like theft, everything,' said Stephen Mace, who works in an Ocean Boulevard storefront. 'They get here so much quicker.' It works like this: from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, the northbound lane on Ocean Boulevard is closed from 9th Avenue North to 16th Avenue North. Additionally, between 8th and 9th Avenue North, all traffic is blocked and re-routed to Kings Highway. Although a road sign alerted motorists of the ban on northbound traffic at 16th Avenue North, and cones with 'no left turn' signs were set up on streets intersecting Ocean Boulevard, some drivers seemed confused. On Friday evening, The Sun News saw more than 20 cars drive northbound on Ocean Boulevard in the flushing zone. Drivers made confused U-turns or pulled right out of oceanside hotels and businesses. 'It's not common,' said Mace. 'Every once in a while, it's typically somebody that's drunk, but also older people that don't see the signs, then it happens, but every once in a while you get a DUI out of it.' No officers were out to direct the flow of traffic, and one unmarked police vehicle–a black Dodge Charger–traveled southbound in the northbound lane around 5:40 p.m. Other than that, there didn't appear to be much of a police presence to enforce the traffic pattern early in the evening. MBPD did not respond to requests for comment on Friday evening. However, around 6 p.m., marked police vehicles began patrolling the area. 'The cops normally hit the beat on the strip around 5,' Mace said. 'You have all the kids revving and people doing whatever the hell they want, and [around] 5, the cops are out here, and everybody kind of settles down a little bit.' Car alarms blared, trash cans toppled and pedestrian traffic slammed to a stop when a brief but powerful summer storm hit around 6:30 p.m. But police presence remained as rain poured down, as patrols continued and a recruitment truck set up between lanes around 14th Avenue North. Over the course of the evening, The Sun News witnessed one traffic stop for a car traveling north in the flushing zone, around 7:20 p.m. By 10 p.m., two officers were set up between lanes on the 900 block of North Ocean's Boulevard near the location of the April 26 shooting where 11 people were injured. In addition to the MBPD cars, The Sun News saw at least one Horry County Sheriff's Office van and one State Trooper vehicle on Ocean Boulevard. But the limited traffic pattern can complicate work for rideshare drivers in the area. 'When this is going on right here, it's hard it's hard to even pick people up off the boulevard, when there's tons of trips on the boulevard,' said Shaw. The city does have designated rideshare pick-up spots adjacent to Ocean Boulevard on Withers Alley, but it's difficult to direct 'clueless' customers unfamiliar with the area and convince them to meet there. To get to customers on the oceanside of the boulevard in the flushing zone, Shaw said he has to 'weasel' his way to their location and turn on his hazards. 'If I were to go to the designated spots that the city has, it's gonna piss off the customer, because they have to walk all the way to the car,' Shaw said. 'It could be frustrating and prevent us from getting tips, and that's pretty much our main source of income, because Uber takes about 50 to 60% of the ride fare.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Update: 12 hospitalized after fights cause panic at Atlantic Beach Bike Week
Twelve people were sent to the hospital after fights created a mass panic at concerts in Atlantic Beach Bike Week, authorities said. Any reports of mass casualties are false, wrote Atlantic Beach Police Interim Chief Carlos Castillo in a release. During concerts late Saturday night, fights erupted in the town of Atlantic Beach — which hosts the motorcycle rally — and caused the crowd to panic. People were injured as they were trampled trying to leave the festival, Castillo wrote. At 11:57 p.m. Horry County Fire Rescue dispatched to Atlantic Beach due to a disturbance with injuries, according to a social media post. EMS brought 12 people to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and an additional six signed a medical transport waiver. Law enforcement officials saw the fights but believed agitators ran and disappeared into the crowd, Castillo said in an email to The Sun News. No one has been arrested. The music paused but the festival continued until it closed at 3 a.m. Celebrations in Atlantic Beach will continue until 3 p.m. Monday, police said. 'We sincerely regret that anyone was injured, but we also regret the unfactual information that is being falsely spread about the Atlantic Beach Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival,' Castillo wrote. In the aftermath, on a rainy Sunday morning, the ground and area near the concert stage was littered with trash, shoes and sunglasses. Hilton Dewitt, who was at the event, told the Sun News there may have been an argument on the street near Ocean Boulevard, which caused concert goers to rush toward the stage. Dewitt said it happened about 1 a.m. 'They started panicking,' Dewitt said of the crowd. 'It was a stampede.' Atlantic Beach Bike Week, also known as Black Bike Week, happens annually during Memorial Day weekend, among other festivals and concerts that take place in the town of Atlantic Beach. Bikers also spread out in the area, spending time at the Myrtle Beach Mall parking lot and in downtown Myrtle Beach. This is a developing story. Check back at The Sun News for updates.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
19 people injured after fight triggered crowd stampede during Memorial Day Weekend celebration in South Carolina
Authorities are investigating after a concert at Black Bike Week in Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, descended into chaos Saturday night, resulting in multiple injuries that sent people to the hospital, according to local reports. The annual Memorial Day weekend event, which draws in thousands of bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts, many from the Black community, turned into a chaotic scene with multiple people injured after an apparent argument led to a stampede, The Sun News reported. While at least 19 people were taken to the hospital in ambulances, earlier reports and rumors spreading online of mass casualties are false, Atlantic Beach Police Interim Chief Carlos Castillo said. Fights erupted during a concert that was taking place Saturday night into early Sunday, causing the crowd to panic. Law enforcement said fights broke out, but they believed agitators ran and disappeared into the crowd, Castillo told The Sun News. Those hospitalized were injured for a variety of reasons, including being trampled, heat exhaustion and dehydration. No arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon. Event attendee Hilton Dewitt told The Sun News earlier Sunday that there may have been an argument on the street around 1 a.m. that caused concert goers to rush toward the stage. He said ambulances then came and police shut the event down. The event was set to start up again after 3 p.m. Sunday. 'We sincerely regret that anyone was injured, but we also regret the unfactual information that is being falsely spread about the Atlantic Beach Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival,' Castillo wrote. The Atlantic Beach Bike Festival has been hosted at Atlantic Beach and other nearby beaches over Memorial Day weekend for years and draws in a large crowd of bikers, according to The Sun News. This year's event is being held from Friday to Monday, according to the report. Atlantic Beach police did not immediately return The Independent's request for comment Sunday morning. This is a developing story...
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach Bike Rally attendees are being ticketed. What they are charged with
As bikers ride in for the Myrtle Beach Bike Rally, some have received noise violations. And with the upcoming weekend, which is expected to be the busiest of the rally, motorcyclists should be aware of noise ordinance laws. This also goes for Memorial Day weekend, when the Atlantic Beach Bike Week begins. Myrtle Beach Police have arrested at least two people for noise violations since the beginning of the Myrtle Beach Rally, which goes through Sunday, according to the Myrtle Beach Police event map. One person was arrested at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday and the next at 9:21 p.m., public records show. Both were arrested in downtown Myrtle Beach near North Ocean Boulevard and 9th Avenue North. It's unclear if police apprehended bikers. The Sun News requested the police reports from the incidents. Georgetown County Sheriff's Office issued one ticket for a noise violation since the start of the rally, said department spokesperson Jason Lesley May 14 in an email to The Sun News. Horry County Police do not yet know how many noise ordinance tickets have been issued, said spokesperson Mikayla Moskov in an email May 15 to The Sun News. Myrtle Beach, Horry County and Georgetown County have similar noise ordinance laws. Murrells Inlet, where much of the rally takes place, is split between Horry and Georgetown counties. North Myrtle Beach, where part of Atlantic Bike Week takes place, also has a noise ordinance that prohibits the racing of engines. All municipalities ban the unnecessary honking of horns, loudspeakers and loud exhausts. Horry County and Myrtle Beach specifically ban 'burnouts.' Police consider factors like volume, time of day and if complaints have been made when deciding to write a ticket or arrest a person, Moskov said.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach officials say downtown is safe. Boardwalk employees disagree after shooting
Employees in Myrtle Beach's main tourist hub say they often don't feel safe on Friday and Saturday nights, despite the city saying it's not dangerous. During the day, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and North Ocean Boulevard feel safe, said the E-Z Eats Cafe manager Salvador Jacinto. Families mill around, patronizing local businesses like the beach stores and restaurants. But when the sun goes down, the vibe changes. The streets fill with young adults who walk the strip or stand in groups on the sidewalk. 'There are too many people and a lot are young, dumb kids,' Jacinto said. Over the weekend, a shooting left 11 people injured and 18-year-old Jerrius David dead, The Sun News reported. Witness Michael Howard said someone fired a gun, and then a Myrtle Beach Police Officer shot that person. Three officers are on paid administrative leave following the shooting, said Myrtle Beach Police spokesperson Randolph Angotti in a release. 'When large crowds gather and rowdiness occurs, it is understandable that some people may feel uneasy, and that is not unique to Myrtle Beach. While we cannot control individual perceptions of safety, we want to assure everyone that the city remains fully committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all,' said Myrtle Beach spokesperson Meredith Denari in an email to The Sun News. It's not just 'some people' feeling easy due to the rowdy crowds. For employees like Amy Carr, she says police have advised the business to close early due to activity in downtown Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach officials are also still withholding the names of the officers involved in the shooting. Wacky T's manager Melissa Medina said the crowds can cause problems late at night. When something happens, such as a shooting or a fight, people will begin running, causing chaos. As clueless bystanders see people running, they join in, not knowing what is happening. Myrtle Beach Police have attempted to mitigate these issues by shutting down the northbound lane of North Ocean Boulevard from Ninth Avenue North to 16th Avenue North on weekend nights, according to a Facebook post from the agency. The northbound lane is then used only for emergency vehicles. This helps increase officer visibility and allows police to react to concerns faster, the social media post said. 'Proactive policing is at the heart of what the Myrtle Beach Police Department does – which is why officers were able to have such a quick response Saturday night,' Denari said. 'There's all the police present and it's still happening,' Jacinto said, referring to dangerous activity. He's worked along North Ocean Boulevard for nine years. Jacinto said he doesn't know how to describe it, but there's a certain energy in downtown Myrtle Beach on some weekend nights. The bad vibes were felt the night of the April 26 shooting. Carr said downtown Myrtle Beach was very busy Saturday night. She said she saw police officers trying to get crowds to leave Plyler Park at 10:30 p.m. 'I expected something to happen because of how bad it's been,' Carr said. Jacinto said the feeling caused E-Z Eats Cafe to close at 10 p.m. instead of closing between 11 p.m. and midnight like usual on April 26. Other businesses have changed their hours to close earlier, various employees said. Other businesses may make a sporadic decision to close early based on the crowds. For example, Jacinto said E-Z Eats Cafe closed at 10 p.m. In the past, Medina and Carr said police have advised them to close their business early based on the activity along North Ocean Boulevard. Right now, business has slowed down as the spring break season ended and the summer season has not yet began, Carr said. The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau Interim President and CEO Tracy Conner offered the following in a Monday afternoon email, 'We understand that incidents like this are concerning. However, Myrtle Beach is a safe and welcoming place for all. Public safety and tourism go hand in hand, and we support ongoing collaboration to ensure both remain strong. While any act of violence is unsettling, we remain confident in the strength of our community and the resilience of the Myrtle Beach brand. Visitor sentiment remains strong, and although Easter shifted travel patterns slightly this year, overall spring visitation has been healthy and we are anticipating a strong summer season. Our visitor services teams are active in the market and available to assist guests with questions or concerns.' Medina, though, said she feels nervous about the upcoming summer. 'I anticipate it to be worse in the summer,' Medina said.
