Driver in fatal crash that killed Beaufort mother of two charged with felony DUI
Correction 3/25/2026: A previous version of this story erroneously stated that the crash occured at 12:45 p.m. The crash actually happened around 12:45 a.m.
The driver involved in a crash that took the life of a 31-year old Beaufort mother of two has been arrested and charged with felony DUI.
According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Inquiry System, Isabelle Zilko, 23, a resident of Port Royal, was booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center on Friday. She is charged with felony DUI resulting in death, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,100, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws.
Zilko’s arrest was first reported by WSAV.
Police have not released any official statements identifying Zilko as the driver of the Lady’s Island crash on Monday. A call to Lt. Daniel Allen, spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, was not returned Saturday morning.
A GoFundme page has been created to help fund Zilko’s medical bills. Her injuries include a broken neck, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, fractures in her back and compressed discs, according to the online fundraiser.
What we know about the crash
At around 12:45 a.m. Monday, a 2004 Toyota pickup truck was traveling north on Brickyard Point Road on Lady’s Island. Near the road’s intersection with Fiddler Drive, the truck ran off the right side of the street, flipped and struck a tree, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The driver was taken to a local hospital, while the sole passenger sustained fatal injuries.
The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office later identified the victim as Beaufort resident Hailee Shackelfurd.
Who was Hailee Shackelfurd?
Shackelfurd, 31, was remembered as a “strong, smart, loving, beautiful and driven person” and a “patient and loving mother of two,” in the description of a GoFundMe organized by her brother Preston Shackelfurd.
The online fundraiser had received over $61,000 in donations as of Saturday morning.
Shackelfurd most recently worked at Lady’s Island Dockside, but the friendly server was a familiar face to Hilton Head seafood lovers as well. Before giving birth to her children, Shackelfurd served patrons at the Crazy Crab on Jarvis Creek for two years.
Liz Carlisle, a manager at Crazy Crab, told the Packet that the news of Shackelfurd’s death shocked the restaurant’s staff.
“She was a wonderful server,” Carlise said. “She was a wonderful friend. She just had a great personality.”
A celebration of life will be held for Shackelfurd on Monday at The Red Rooster Cafe in Beaufort, according to a social media post by Preston Shackelfurd.
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 12:39 PM.
