SC police adopt new safety measures after officer ran over, killed beachgoer last summer
.jpg "An Horry County Police truck sits on the beach where a beachgoer was struck by a beach patrol vehicle near the Nash Street beach access outside Myrtle Beach, SC. The woman later died. June 14, 2024")
After police ran over and killed a woman on the beach outside Myrtle Beach, local police departments have implemented new safety changes for 2025.
On June 14, 2024, 66-year-old Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters was hit by a police pickup truck near the Nash Street public beach access. She died from injuries sustained in the accident. Schultz-Peters’s death led to discussions surrounding the use of pickup trucks on the beach and their safety.
Former Horry County Beach Safety Director Julian “Duke” Brown was operating the vehicle that hit Schultz-Peters.
Horry County Police put Brown on paid administrative leave shortly after the accident he retired late July, The Sun News previously reported. No criminal charges were brought against him but Schultz-Peters’s family filed a wrongful death suit against the Horry County Police Department.
Since the accident, multiple municipalities have changed how they are using beach trucks — including Horry County, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Overall, governments are transitioning to smaller vehicles and adding cameras to help with visibility.
In 2024, Horry County purchased three additional utility terrain vehicles, or UTVs, to help with beach patrol, said Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt.
“(During) what we call our peak season, or Memorial Day through our Labor Day, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., we’re going to focus (on) UTVs . . . but there will still be trucks are on the beach,” Leonhardt said.
When trucks are on the beach, drivers will turn on blue lights for added visibility, according to Leonhardt.
Trucks are a necessary tool for emergency situations, said Meredith Denari, the Myrtle Beach director of communications and creative services, in an email to The Sun News. Trucks can carry equipment such as flotation devices, rescue boards and spinal stabilization equipment, among other ocean rescue instruments.
“Beach pick-up trucks are needed to quickly and safely transport people in need of emergency care,” Denari said. “It is quicker to load a patient into a truck than to carry them 100+ yards in the sand to a waiting ambulance.”
Within the last year, Myrtle Beach added front and side cameras to its trucks. Rear-view cameras were already installed on the vehicles Denari said.
The city also requires a “spotter” in the passenger seat and prohibits officers from turning right or driving faster than 5 mph. These policies were in place prior to Schultz-Peters’s death.
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North Myrtle Beach is transitioning to using smaller trucks with more cameras, said North Myrtle Beach Police spokesman Patrick Wilkinson in an email to The Sun News. Along with Horry County, North Myrtle Beach trucks will use flashing blue lights when on the beach.
Wilkinson said he wants beachgoers to be mindful of where they sunbathe and make sure they avoid the emergency lane. Municipalities usually mark where vehicles drive with cones, so avoid sitting in the area between the dunes and traffic cones.
“It’s important to understand that our team not only patrols in a law enforcement capacity but also oversees all lifeguard and medical response,” Wilkinson said.
This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
