Bluffton financial adviser charged after DUI crash severely injures other driver, cops say
A Bluffton financial adviser was charged with driving under the influence after crashing on U.S. 278 and causing severe injury to another driver, police said.
S.C. Highway Patrol charged Todd Blackwell, 47, of Bluffton with one count of felony DUI causing great bodily injury, one count of simple possession of marijuana, one count of open container of alcohol, and one count of transporting alcohol with a broken seal, according to court records.
Around 6 p.m. Saturday, Blackwell, driving a 2019 BMW SUV, was heading east on U.S. 278 when he rear-ended a car stopped at a red light on Burnt Church Road, according to SCHP Trooper Tyler Tidwell.
The car, a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, was run off the road on the right, where it hit an unoccupied parked car.
The driver of the Corvette sustained “great bodily injury,” and the passenger had minor injuries, said Tidwell. Both were wearing seat belts.
Tidwell did not have information on the driver’s condition, nor what hospital the person was sent to. Blackwell was not injured.
He was booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center shortly after midnight, jail records show. He was still being held there Monday morning, and a bond has not been set.
Blackwell is a partner in a wealth management company, Blackwell Boyd, according to the company’s website. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton.
DUI causing great bodily injury is a felony. Conviction carries a penalty of at least 30 days in jail but up to 15 years in prison, S.C. law states.
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 10:46 AM.
