Woman ‘thrown’ from vehicle on highway, Beaufort man arrested and faces 20-year sentence
A Beaufort man faces a charge of felony assault after allegedly throwing a woman out of a moving vehicle as he drove on a Lady’s Island highway, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Manuel Martin, 48, was charged Thursday morning with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, which is the highest classification of assault under South Carolina law. Punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison, the offense is applied for instances of “great bodily injury” or attacks likely to result in death.
Beaufort County deputies responded around 1 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of U.S. 21 (Sea Island Parkway) and Airport Circle, close to the entrance of the Beaufort Executive Airport and the Lady’s Island Walmart. There they found a woman with “significant injuries” from her impact with the pavement, who told deputies Martin had “thrown her” out of his vehicle as they passed the area, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Staff Sgt. Robert Herlong.
The woman was taken to the hospital by first responders, Herlong said. An update on her condition was not immediately available.
Martin was later arrested following a traffic stop on his vehicle. He was also charged with possession of cocaine and driving with an open container of alcohol, according to Beaufort County jail records.
Police are still investigating the circumstances of the incident, including how fast the vehicle was going when the woman was pushed into the roadway, Herlong said. The speed limit on that portion of U.S. 21 is 45 mph.
Martin posted a total of $30,000 in surety bond payments related to the drug and assault charges Friday.
Beaufort County court records show no prior arrests or convictions for Martin.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM.
