Man sues after Beaufort Co. Sheriff’s deputy caused crash, serious injuries, lawsuit says
A man sued the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office after a May 2020 car crash on Hilton Head Island with a deputy while on duty in which the driver was seriously injured and the deputy’s vehicle sustained $10,000 in damage, according to documents.
The lawsuit filed by Kewyn Williams, of Beaufort County, on Nov. 3 alleges that Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputy Robert Aroneck attempted to turn left from U.S. 278 onto Wilborn Road while Williams was driving toward him around 4:30 p.m. on May 14, 2020. The turn caused Williams to crash head-on into Aroneck on U.S. 278, the lawsuit says.
Williams received “significant injuries” and, more than a year later, will likely be going to surgery, according to his lawyer, Andrew Evans of HawkLaw P.A. He declined to comment further.
Sheriff’s Office Maj. Bob Bromage declined to comment on the pending litigation and on whether the deputy was injured in the crash.
The crash caused $10,385.12 worth of damage to the patrol vehicle, a disciplinary action document said. After review, the agency’s command staff required Aroneck to pay 10% of the repair cost, around $1,000, via payroll deduction and issued him a written reprimand.
The disciplinary document said Aroneck was the “contributing factor in the motor vehicle accident,” after S.C. Highway Patrol investigated.
A lawyer for the Sheriff’s Office has not responded to the lawsuit.
