Body found in Socastee ditch was victim of traffic collision, police say
The body that was found in a ditch in Socastee on Saturday morning was a victim of a traffic collision, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The unidentified victim was found in a ditch off Peachtree Road, according to John Harrelson with Horry County police. Anthony Lemay, 13, said he was riding his bicycle about 7:30 a.m. when he came across the body.
“I was just riding around and went to the top of the road and saw a shoe,” Lemay told The Sun News. “I tried looking for another shoe.”
That’s when Lemay looked in a ditch and found a person he said appeared to be a middle-aged man.
“He was bloated up, all red,” Lemay added. “I’ve never seen nothing like that before. It was just shocking, surprising.”
The highway patrol reports a 2007 Ford vehicle struck the pedestrian around 12:30 a.m. Aug. 12 while traveling south on Peachtree Road. The driver did not suffer any injuries, according to SCHP.
The incident is still under investigation.
This story was originally published August 18, 2018 at 5:34 PM.