Horry County officials geared up to prevent Mustang Week ‘mayhem’ repeat of 2014

Tuesday marks the kickoff of Mustang Week, and organizers and Horry County officials are gearing up to prevent the chaos that occurred last year, which almost prompted at least one major accident.

The annual five-day July event, located at the Myrtle Beach Mall, draws thousands of visitors for its fun run, burnout contests, cruises and much more. Mustang Week has grown from about 4,000 spectators in 2007 to an estimated 10,000 for last year’s Cruise-In, according to the event’s website.

Horry County Police Chief Saundra Rhodes said she had heard from residents and business owners in the area and then-Councilman Brent Schulz about the “mayhem,” as Schulz called it, associated with the crowd.

“I do have some concerns about safety when I looked at some of the videos and some of the information that we received in reference to some of the racing and spin outs that were taking place on [U.S.] 17,” Rhodes said. “So, we coordinated some of our efforts with [South Carolina] Highway Patrol and are looking at making some changes in how we police it.”

Rhodes said there will be more officers on the roads around Mustang Week and there will be changes to the exits and entrances of the Myrtle Beach Mall parking lot. She said police will put a greater emphasis on S.C. 22, and the crowds that would gather along U.S. 17 will no longer be there.

“There won’t be an exit for that direction anymore,” Rhodes said of the exit on U.S. 17 Bypass. “So we’ll be shutting that off. There will be no need for groups of people standing along Highway [U.S.] 17 waiting for the cars to exit.”

This is the second major event this year county officials felt the need to add more law enforcement to keep crowds in order. In May, Horry County and Myrtle Beach law enforcement and emergency personnel teamed up with state law enforcement officials to contain crowds for the annual Atlantic Beach Bikefest on Memorial Day weekend.

Barricades had a big presence during Bikefest, and Rhodes said some will be used for Mustang Week.

“We are looking at some barricades at some of the exits of the parking lot there,” Rhodes said of the mall. “If we do see the groups of people congregating on Highway 17, this time we’ll be able to address it a whole lot more quickly and proactively.”

“We are definitely planning on proactively working it this year as opposed to last year where we were reactive, having to send additional officers after the problems occurred,” Rhodes said. “We’re going to be in there and have our presence in place prior to it occurring.”

Rodney Melton, president and founder of Extreme Productions, which hosts the annual event, said he did not want to comment until he met with county officials Monday. Melton said he will have more security at the event and will work on promoting the event as a family event, and added a 5-year-old boy will be at Mustang Week as part of a Make-A-Wish Foundation request.

County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus said lines of communication have been open and he said he thinks he’s been clear about the county’s desire not to see a repeat of last year.

“There is a plan in place not to have people out on the road, and they have to have more security, as a requirement for their permit,” Lazarus said. “It’s definitely going to be a lot better managed than it was last year.

“If it’s not, then of course, we pull their permits.”

This story was originally published July 9, 2015 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Horry County officials geared up to prevent Mustang Week ‘mayhem’ repeat of 2014."