Driver to be charged on suspicion of DUI after crash on U.S. 278 in Bluffton, cops say
At least one person has been arrested and will be charged with driving under the influence after a single-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon on U.S. 278 in Bluffton, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash took place just past the Pinckney Wildlife Refuge in Bluffton and blocked an eastbound traffic lane, police said in an alert Wednesday. The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. and a right eastbound lane of U.S. 278 was blocked by emergency crews working to clear the scene.
The police were called about a reckless driver in the area, according to Maj. Angela Viens, a sheriff’s office spokesperson. The caller reported that the driver hit a tree at the base of the bridge before hitting the bridge. The driver lost their car’s passenger-side tire in the process, Viens said. The lane was closed so that police could perform a sobriety test on the driver.
The driver will be charged with driving under the influence, Viens said.
As of Thursday, the driver had not been booked at the Beaufort County Detention Center but was in police custody, Viens said.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette does not name those charged with misdemeanors unless they are in a position of public trust.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 2:57 PM.
