Truck driver in fatal Bluffton motorcycle crash passed sobriety test, police say
A truck driver involved in a fatal motorcycle crash that killed a Hilton Head woman and injured one other passed a sobriety test after the collision, according to police.
Officials confirmed the motorcycle’s driver remains hospitalized with incapacitating injuries as of Wednesday afternoon. The motorcycle’s passenger, identified as Barbara DeWitt, 49, of Hilton Head Island, died after the motorcycle collided with a pick-up truck Sunday afternoon on U.S. 278 near Rose Hill in Bluffton.
After the collision, a Highway Patrol officer conducted sobriety tests on the pick-up truck driver and determined he “showed no signs of impairment,” according to Police Lance Cpl. Matt Southern.
Southern said officers issued no breathalyzer or blood tests, as the pick-up truck driver passed initial sobriety tests. No criminal charges have been filed. The Highway Patrol’s investigation is ongoing.
Drivers traveling west on U.S. 278 watched as police rerouted traffic for more than four hours after 2:18 p.m. crash. A helicopter landed around 12 minutes after the collision to transport the injured.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 5:07 PM.
