2 women hurt in Port Royal sledding incident, driver charged with felony DUI
State troopers arrested a Beaufort man for allegedly fleeing the scene after hitting two sledders with his truck while driving under the influence Saturday evening.
Richard Quinn Davidson, 46, was charged early Sunday morning two counts of hit-and-run involving great bodily injury and two counts of felony DUI to correspond with the two people he allegedly struck, according to Trooper Nick Pye of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He was released that afternoon from the Beaufort County Detention Center on personal recognizance bonds totaling $60,000, court records show.
Beaufort County deputies and troopers with the SCHP responded around 7:50 p.m. Saturday to the incident on Shell Point Road.
Two women on a makeshift sled being pulled by a truck had let go of the rope, a witness reported. Then the women, described as being between 30 and 40 years old on dispatch audio, were struck by a 2022 Ram pickup that left the scene, Pye said.
Both women were taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for their injuries, according to Lt. Daniel Allen of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. He deferred additional questions to the Highway Patrol, which was investigating the incident.
The conditions of the two women were unclear as of Sunday afternoon.
Port Royal residents reported about 3.5 inches of snow in the area as of Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Charleston office. Drivers across Beaufort County were advised to stay off the roads if possible until conditions cleared.
This report will be updated.
This story was originally published February 1, 2026 at 1:12 PM.
