Colleton County woman pleads guilty to reckless homicide in 2016 DUI crash

A Colleton County woman who admitted to drinking before driving and whose passenger died in a 2016 collision on Interstate 95 has plead guilty to reckless homicide and was sentenced to prison.

Carolyn Ann Hippenstiel, 26, of Round O, was sentenced to 10 years, with five to serve, and three years of probation, according to a news release from the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s office.

“On Feb. 19, 2016, Hippenstiel was driving north on I-95 when she lost control of the 1997 Jeep Cherokee she was driving in an attempt to avoid slowing traffic,” the release said. “The (vehicle) went off the left side of the roadway near mile marker 49 and crashed into a tree. Her passenger, John George Walling, 54, of Walterboro, died at the scene.”

Assistant Solicitor Steven Knight prosecuted the case and the sentence was handed down by Circuit Court Judge Perry M. Buckner, according to the release.

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Colleton County woman pleads guilty to reckless homicide in 2016 DUI crash."