Teens hurt after Mercedes hits tree at high speed in Bluffton-area gated community
State troopers are investigating after a Mercedes driven by a teenager hit a tree inside the gates of a Bluffton-area private community Saturday night, according to police.
Witnesses on Colleton River Drive — located in the Colleton River Club golf community — said they saw the Mercedes sedan traveling at a “very high rate of speed” before it struck a tree and came to rest in the woodline around 8 p.m., according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
The driver of the Mercedes had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken to Savannah’s Memorial University Health Center for treatment. South Carolina Highway Patrol took over the investigation “due to the extent of injuries,” the report says.
Police on scene spoke to the passenger, who was found lying on the ground outside the Mercedes, according to the report. Before receiving first aid from medics, he reportedly told deputies “all he could remember was looking up” before the sedan struck the tree.
The driver was identified in the police report as 18-year-old Colin Strauss, the son of former Hilton Head Island lawyer Peter J. Strauss. The attorney was sent to federal prison last year after pleading guilty to hiding money for his Californian clients who ran a massive money laundering scheme.
An update on Colin Strauss’ condition was not available as of Tuesday. His father did not return a phone call requesting comment.
An SCHP spokesperson did not immediately answer questions about the collision, including if alcohol was believed to be involved or whether the driver would face criminal charges.
