Lawsuit accuses Beaufort police officer of causing crash on Ribaut Road
A lawsuit filed Monday against the Beaufort Police Department accuses one of its officers of recklessly causing a collision in his patrol car this summer.
Court documents say the crash happened just before midnight Aug. 9 as the plaintiff, Kayla McDonald, drove north on Ribaut Road.
Driving his patrol vehicle in the opposite direction, Officer Daniel Scott Thompson “illegally entered Kayla’s lane while performing a U-turn” and collided with her vehicle, the lawsuit says. Thompson was not named as a defendant in the suit.
McDonald was injured and “received medical treatment” following the crash, according to the suit. Her lawyer, personal injury attorney Patrick Carr, would not say whether she was hospitalized or how much she was seeking in damages.
The suit accuses Thompson of making an “unsafe and improper” U-turn and lane change, and driving distracted even in clear conditions on a straight road.
Thompson has over 25 years of experience as a reserve officer with Beaufort police. In March, Gov. McMaster awarded him with the Order of the Silver Crescent, South Carolina’s highest honor for community service.
A representative from the BPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency’s offices were closed on Tuesday for Veterans Day.
This story was originally published November 11, 2025 at 12:55 PM.
