Horry County school board member arrested, charged with DUI in North Myrtle Beach
Horry County School board member Holly Heniford was arrested Friday and charged with DUI by North Myrtle Beach Police, according to Horry County Sheriff’s Office bookings page.
J. Reuben Long Detention Center records show Heniford was booked into jail just before 7 p.m. and released after posting bail about a half hour after midnight.
Heniford sent a statement to The Sun News early Saturday morning: “This is an embarrassing situation. I am sure this will be worked out in the coming weeks. I apologize to the citizens who elect me and the entire school board. This will not affect my commitment to our children and Horry County Schools.”
According to the police report, North Myrtle Beach officers noticed a silver SUV stopped in the middle of the road about 5:45 p.m. near the southbound Highway 31 exit onto Robert Edge Parkway. Several vehicles were parked on the shoulder of the road and numerous people were standing next to the driver side door of the SUV, police said.
One of the bystanders told police that the driver was asleep and had just woken up, and police noted the driver was lethargic with slurred speech during initial questioning. Once the driver exited the vehicle, police officers identified her as Heniford from her driver’s license.
Police also noticed a strong odor of alcohol on her breath, bloodshot eyes and that she was unsteady on her feet, according to the report. Police then subjected Heniford to numerous field sobriety tests, determined that she was impaired and placed her under arrest for DUI, the report states.
After being taken to North Myrtle Beach jail, Heniford refused to consent to a Blood Alcohol Content test and, as a result, her driving privileges in South Carolina were immediately suspended, according to police. Her vehicle was towed from the scene, the report adds.
Heniford, who is also a licensed real estate broker, was first elected to school board in 2014 and represents District 1, which includes most of North Myrtle Beach and part of Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published September 6, 2019 at 11:49 PM.
