Bond set for Bluffton man charged in Beaufort crash that killed step-mom and 7-year-old

A Beaufort County judge has set bond for a Bluffton man charged with two counts of felony driving under the influence and one count of failure to stop for blue lights in a Beaufort crash that killed a 7-year-old boy and his step-mom.

James Bush, 44, was charged July 26 upon his release from Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

During a Monday hearing, a judge set $100,000 bonds for each of the DUI charges and a $5,000 bond for failure to stop.

Bush had yet to make his bond and remained at Beaufort County Detention Center Thursday, according to jail logs.

Seven-year-old Caleb Brown, of St. Helena Island, died a day after the crash and is remembered by his father, Christopher Brown as being an active child who loved sports.

His step-mother, Ronda Brown, 48, of Beaufort spent her time at church or work, Christopher Brown previously said. She died at the crash site at S.C. 107 and Savannah Highway.

A Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report says a deputy smelled “the odor of consumed alcohol emitting” from Bush. It also noted his speech was slurred and that his eyes were bloodshot and “extremely” glossy.

A Sheriff’s Office deputy had attempted to pull over Bush after witnessing an improper right turn on red onto Boundary Street from Robert Smalls Parkway. He failed to stop, so the deputy pursued his vehicle, ending near the Burton Hill Road intersection, the report said.

The chase reached speeds up to 95 mph before the police pursuit ended 13 minutes before the crash.

Witness statements say Bush was driving at an excessive speed and accelerated through a red light when it struck Brown’s vehicle. The crash occurred about 4 miles from where the deputy stopped pursuit.

This story was originally published August 1, 2019 at 5:37 PM.