A Bluffton firefighter was suspended after police charged him with driving under the influence after midnight Friday morning.
The Hardeeville Police Department charged Andrew Eldridge, 22, of Bluffton with DUI. He is accused of hitting a fence and several parked cars in the parking lot of the Palisades at New River apartment complex in Hardeeville, according to Lt. Jonah Jenkins.
Eldridge’s car was flipped on its side as a result, he said. His blood alcohol content was above 0.06.
Reached by phone Friday morning, Randy Hunter with the Bluffton Fire District confirmed that Eldridge works with the department.
Hunter said he has been suspended without pay pending further investigation.
Jenkins said there was significant damage to the vehicles he hit.
Afterwards, Eldridge was taken to Coastal Carolina Hospital, then was transported to the Jasper County Detention Center.
He was booked just after 4 a.m. on Friday and is still being detained.
When we publish mugshots
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette publishes police booking photos, or mugshots, in the following instances:
In situations where a public figure or someone in a position of public trust is arrested
In cases where there is an immediate and widespread threat to public safety
In cases where the arrested person is accused of a crime reporters have evidence to believe involved numerous, unknown victims
Reporters will avoid using mugshots as lead images for online articles in order to limit their circulation on social media, except in cases where the public is served by the immediate identification of the accused. Reporters and editors may use discretion in situations that don’t meet the criteria outlined in this policy but still present a compelling reason to publish a mugshot.
Jake Shore is a senior writer covering breaking news for The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. He reports on criminal justice, police, and the courts system in Beaufort and Jasper Counties. Jake originally comes from sunny California and attended school at Fordham University in New York City. In 2020, Jake won a first place award for beat reporting on the police from the South Carolina Press Association.
