There were 12 alcohol-related arrests in Beaufort Co. July 4th weekend. Most were DUIs
Of the 35 inmates booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center between Friday and Monday morning, more than a third of them faced alcohol-related charges.
Nine people were arrested on a DUI charge during the long holiday weekend, including five on Independence Day itself.
S.C. Highway Patrol made five of the nine DUI arrests, which is more than the other agencies combined. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office made two arrests and Bluffton Police and Port Royal Police each made one.
Most of those arrested were Beaufort County residents with the exception of a Greenwood man, a Georgia man, and a California man.
A Hilton Head Island man was booked into the jail by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources minutes after July 4th ended on a boating under the influence charge.
The Beaufort Police Department also made two public drunkenness arrests throughout the weekend.
Reports have found South Carolina among the worst states in the nation for drunk driving, with close to 30% of fatal car crashes in the state being related to driving under the influence in 2018. Last year, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported that hundreds of people charged with DUI in Beaufort County also either escape conviction or are charged with lesser crimes.
Those seeking confidential support regarding alcohol addiction can call the free 24-hour substance abuse hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
