Deputies thought Beaufort County magistrate’s behavior at St. Helena crash was unusual
Deputies who responded last month to a two-vehicle crash on St. Helena Island thought it was unusual that one of the drivers started eating crackers and drinking water when he learned the South Carolina Highway Patrol was en route to the scene.
The driver was Beaufort County Magistrate Thomas Holloway, who was arrested for driving under the influence, for a 1st offense-refused test, and spent the night at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Holloway will make his first court appearance Dec. 2 before magistrate in Bluffton.
The observations about the crackers and water are one of the details in a report of the incident that was released this week following a Freedom of Information Act request by the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet. The report includes information that was not previously released following the Oct. 29 crash including a narrative by L.M. Romagnino, a senior trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
After Romagnino arrived on the scene to take command of the investigation at about 8:15 p.m., two deputies approached the trooper and said the magistrate appeared to be intoxicated.
They added that Holloway began eating the crackers and “chugging water” when he learned the Highway Patrol was en route -- “behavior they described as unusual following a collision.”
“When speaking with Holloway I observed the crackers and water bottle previously described by the deputies,” Romagnino wrote in a report.
Romagnino reported smelling alcohol coming from Holloway while the magistrate retrieved the vehicle’s paperwork.
Was driving home after hunting
But Holloway replied “no” when asked if he had consumed any alcohol or was taking prescription medicine.
In boxes on the crash report that ask whether the driver contributed to the collision, a “yes” is circled by Katrina Sellars’ name. She was the driver of the other vehicle. A “no” is circled by Holloway’s name.
In a box that says “alcohol/drug information,” “no is circled by Sellars’ name. “Yes” is circled by Holloway’s name.
“I noted that his pupils were dilated (not constricted as previously reported), his eyelids droopy, his eyes bloodshot and his speech slow and raspy,” the report says.
Holloway told Romagnino that he was driving home from his property in Colleton County, where he had been hunting, when the Sellars vehicle pulled out in front of him.
Holloway advised Romagnino there were two firearms in his vehicle and described their locations.
As Romagnino was “clearing” the firearms from Holloway’s vehicle the trooper reported smelling a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage again. “After clearing the first firearm, I opened the rear driver-side door to clear the hunting rifle and observed, in plain view, a cold and unopened Miller Lite beer can,” the report says.
Where crash occurred
The collision took place at the intersection of Seaside Road and Sea Island Parkway. Holloway, a 61-year-old resident of Fripp Island, was driving south on Sea Island Parkway at the posted speed limit of 55 mph. At the same time, Sellars, who was on Seaside Road, made a left turn onto Sea Island Parkway without yielding the right of way, directly in front of Holloway’s vehicle. As a result, Holloway’s vehicle struck Sellars’ vehicle, which was traveling at approximately 15 mph.
Sellars suffered minor injuries. Holloway was seen for a broken nose and a concussion
Romagnino reported having a reasonable suspicion to conduct field sobriety tests, but Holloway refused, saying he had suffered a concussion and would not participate. He was then arrested, handcuffed and placed in the front seat of the patrol car, where Romagnino “detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from his person and breath, particularly when he was not eating crackers.”
Holloway also refused to provide a breath sample without his attorney present at the Beaufort County Detention Center. He was taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for medical clearance and then taken back to the jail.
The deputies also reported that Holloway told them his vehicle was set to “auto drive” at the time of the collision, meaning it “practically drives itself like a Tesla.”
Magistrate still hearing cases
Beaufort County Magistrates Court generally has criminal trial jurisdiction over all offenses subject to the penalty of a fine but generally not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both. They are responsible for setting bail, conducting preliminary hearings and issuing arrest and search warrants. Magistrates have civil jurisdiction when the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500.
Holloway continues to preside over cases while his own is pending, said Stephanie Garst, the administrator of Beaufort County Magistrate Court.
Like anybody, Garst said, Holloway is innocent until proven guilty and his case will move through the court system like any other.
Supreme Court oversees discipline
The South Carolina Supreme Court is responsible for overseeing South Carolina lawyers and judges and may discipline or remove them for ethical violations. A spokesperson for the governor referred questions about the Holloway case to the court. A spokesperson for the court was not immediately available on Friday afternoon.
Kevin Dukes, Holloway’s colleague and managing member at Harvey and Battey, previously told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet that “Mr. Holloway was not at fault and did not contribute to the accident.”
Magistrates are appointed for each county by the governor, with confirmation coming from the Senate. The county’s senators make the recommendations. Holloway was appointed in 2022 on the recommendation of Sen. George “Chip” Campsen III, R-Charleston, and Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, who also voted for his appointment. Sen. Tom Davis, R-Bluffton, recused himself from the recommendation and vote. Davis and Holloway both work for the law firm of Harvey and Battey in Beaufort.
