Fatal car crash survivor said he missed his turn in Forestbrook community

Gary Johnson counted his blessings Wednesday, a day after a missed turn led him into a fatal head-on crash in the Forestbrook community.

Johnson, an Illinois-based broker development coordinator with the insurance company Aflac, is in town on business and missed his turn on U.S. 501 about 11 a.m. Tuesday. He got off at the Forestbrook exit to turn around when the crash occurred.

"I was out there and missed my turn, and went around and was coming back, and all of the sudden, this white Galant jumped out of traffic, and I could tell he was flying," Johnson said. "In a fraction of a second, I had nowhere to go. He was coming at such a high rate."

The driver of the Mitsubishi Galant, a 17-year-old man, was flown to New Hanover Medical Center where he is being treated. His identity has not been released by police.

A passenger in the Galant, Lucero Sanchez Martinez, was pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday at Conway Medical Center. An autopsy performed Wednesday indicated she died from massive trauma, said Horry County Coroner Robert Edge.

Martinez's age was unclear Wednesday, Edge said.

State troopers said the driver of the Galant was fleeing an Horry County police officer when the car collided with Johnson's Ford Expedition on McCormick Road, about a half mile from Forestbrook Road.

The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and Horry County police said they are cooperating with troopers in the investigation.

The chase began when Horry County Police officer Steven Grainger spotted a suspicious car near Highway 814 and turned around to monitor its route, according to the police report. As the officer followed, the driver stopped the car, got out and went to the trunk. When he spotted the police car, he got back in his car and drove away, leaving the car trunk cracked open.

Grainger continued to follow as the car traveled to Millpond Road, S.C. 544 and then Dick Pond Road. "The driver turned into the Kangaroo on the corner of Forestbrook Road and Dick Pond Road without signaling, and I initiated a traffic stop as the car pulled up to the gas pump closest to the store," Grainger said in the report.

But the car pulled away and slowly crossed the parking lot as Grainger sounded his siren and notified dispatchers that the traffic stop was turning into a pursuit, the report said.

As Grainger followed, the car passed several other vehicles on Forestbrook, and the officer spotted another police car with blue lights flashing heading toward the fleeing car.

"At this time, the car made a hard right-hand turn onto McCormick Road and appeared to run off the road ... As I was turning onto McCormick Road, I saw the vehicle in the wrong lane again, and I also saw a black SUV in that same lane," Grainger wrote. "The Mitsubishi [Galant] I was pursuing did not make it around the SUV and collided with him almost directly head on."

Horry County police Lt. Myron Creel said Wednesday that officials would not discuss the incident until the investigation is complete.

Johnson, whose vehicle was destroyed, said he tried to avoid the Galant and veered to the right, but because of a large ditch there, he could not go off the road. He said there was oncoming traffic, so he could not go into the other lane.

"I just feel bad about what happened. It could have been worse if I had went straight at him instead of at a slight angle," said Johnson, who suffered a cut to his leg and some bruises. He was treated and released Tuesday at Conway Medical Center.

"I feel for the families because of what happened. It's sad these young kids were involved in this stuff," Johnson said. "Everyone said if you weren't driving that Expedition, you wouldn't be here right now. I just feel for those kids."

Johnson's wife and two children, ages 15 and 12, also are in town with him, and he said he was glad they were not in the vehicle at the time of the crash.