Hilton Head man sentenced in DUI crash that killed a beloved doctor on Cross Island
Less than two months after a Hilton Head Island man was charged in a 2016 DUI crash that killed a beloved local doctor, deputies arrested him again on the island for DUI while he was out on bail.
Because of that, 14th solicitor Duffie Stone asked the judge sentencing the 67-year-old on Monday to consider the man’s “dangerous” pattern of behavior as a threat to the community.
Richard George Alford, 67, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years on probation for the felony DUI resulting in death, along with five years for the felony hit-and-run charge, in the crash that killed Jeff Garske on Aug. 18, 2016.
Alford was sentenced to 30 days for the separate, unrelated DUI charge that occurred after Garske’s death.
The sentences will run concurrently, and Alford will receive credit for the three years of time served since he was arrested in September 2016 for the second DUI, Judge Roger Couch said in front of the crowded Beaufort County courtroom.
In September, Alford pleaded guilty to both DUI charges and the hit-and-run.
Garske was riding his bicycle on the eastbound shoulder in the Marshland Road area of the Cross Island Parkway when he was fatally struck by a 2011 Ford pickup truck driven by Alford.
Weeks after the fatal accident, Alford, out on bail, was charged again with a DUI on Hilton Head.
Barry Ginn, who described himself as a friend of both Alford and Garske, spoke before the court Monday. Ginn said he saw Alford driving drunk on the south end of Hilton Head in September 2016. He followed him until he pulled over and called 911.
“In those five to 10 minutes waiting for police to arrive, (Alford) did not show any remorse,” Ginn said. “He was just worried about getting away with it. The man has no remorse.”
On Monday, Alford appeared frail, and said few words during the hearing. He had to sit down for multiple periods of the two-hour sentencing. He expressed remorse, and quietly told the judge that he wished he could change things.
A few of Alford’s friends and family members spoke on his behalf. They described Alford as a “thoughtful, giving,” man who would “never harm anyone,” but became addicted to opioids after years of medical issues and surgeries.
More than a dozen of Garske’s friends and family members also attended Monday’s sentencing. Garske, an orthopedic surgeon, was remembered as a husband, father of two and a grandfather. He was also a Boston Marathon bombing survivor.
Nick Felix, a family friend and attorney, read a letter from Garske’s family in court.
“We have heard people call this an accident,” the family wrote. “This was no accident. Accidents by definition are beyond our control. Richard Alford made a conscious choice to drink. He made another conscious choice to drive, and another to never look back after killing Garske. In doing so, he shattered our lives.”
The family asked the court to keep Alford off the roads for as long as possible. Alford faced a total of 50 years for the three charges.
“A drunk driver is just as dangerous to our community as a person carrying a loaded firearm firing at random into the public,” the family wrote in the letter. “It’s only a matter of time before they hit someone.”
A sculpture was created in Garske’s memory on the south end of the island and as a reminder for islanders to be more aware of cyclists when driving.
The case
During Monday’s sentencing, Stone, the 14th Circuit solicitor, outlined the facts of the case and discussed Alford’s criminal history.
On Aug. 1, 2016, Alford was traveling along the Cross Island Parkway when he swerved into the wide shoulder of the road — the portion “normally used for bicycles,” Stone said — when Alford’s truck struck the back of Garske’s bicycle.
Alford continued driving on the parkway before taking the Spanish Wells exit and entering the neighborhood where he lived, nearly 4.5 miles from the crash, Stone said,
A driver who witnessed the crash followed Alford and called 911 when he parked at his home on Widewater Road, according to Stone.
When law enforcement officers arrived at Alford’s house, they found the damaged truck outside and (Alford) inside his home, according to Stone.
When he was questioned by police, Alford said he knew he hit something, but thought it was an overhanging tree branch or mailbox.
Alford’s blood-alcohol level was between 0.13 and 0.14%, according to his blood work and breathalyzer.
Garske died immediately from blunt head trauma, Stone said.
Stone pointed out Alford’s extensive criminal history involving alcohol abuse.
In addition to the DUI charges in 2016, Alford was charged in a DUI crash in Dallas, Texas, in 2011. He also was charged with BUI while he was boating in 2012, Stone told the court.
“This is a problem Alford has known about since 2011,” Stone said, “and clearly he’s done nothing about it.”
Couch said the case was one of the most tragic he’s ever presided over.
“Perhaps what happens today will change the course of others,” the judge said.
This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 6:31 PM.
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