6 things we know about the Socastee Swing Bridge accident that killed an Horry County man
Traffic is closed on Dick Pond Road after a Monday car accident on the Socastee Swing Bridge left one person dead.
Here are six things we know about the watery crash.
Only one person, the driver, was killed. No one else was hurt. The Horry County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Demeatrius Chandler Jr., 23, of the Myrtle Beach area.
Around 11:37 a.m. on Monday, Chandler ran through the barrier at the Socastee Swing Bridge while going west on Dick Pond Road, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol. At the time, traffic was stopped and the bridge was rotated, witnesses said. The car ran off the left side of the road and struck the bridge. The car and body were later recovered from the Intracoastal Waterway.
Family said Chandler had experienced seizures in the past and believed them to be the cause of the crash. The Coroner’s Office is still conducting an autopsy.
“(Demeatrius) was one of a kind with a heart of gold and could keep you laughing for days,” wrote a family member in a GoFundMe for funeral expenses.
The Socastee Swing Bridge will be closed for at least a week for repairs, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Drivers should detour on Highway 544.
Built in 1935, the Socastee Swing Bridge can pivot twice an hour to allow tall boats to pass in the Intracoastal Waterway. Socastee has one of two swing bridges in Horry County, the other connecting Little River and North Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published June 13, 2023 at 12:43 PM.
