Teens killed in crash had been drinking at father’s SC home, suit alleges
The father of a 17-year-old who was killed in a crash last July has filed a lawsuit claiming that his son and an underage friend had been drinking at an adult’s home before being allowed to drive.
Carson Hatcher, of the Aynor area, was a passenger in a 1997 Dodge pickup truck driven by Chance Huggins, 16, of Green Sea, when it crossed the center lane, ran off the road, hit a tree and struck a house, police said. Both teens died in the crash — Huggins at the scene and Hatcher later at a hospital.
Before the crash on July 13, 2025, Huggins and Hatcher had been drinking at the home of Robert Michael Huggins, Chance’s father and the owner of the truck, according to the lawsuit filed Dec. 31 by Christopher Hatcher.
The lawsuit claims that the alcohol was provided, sold or permitted by Robert Michael Huggins or the ABC Corp., operators of liquor stores in the area. Both are named as defendants. The estate of Chance Huggins is also named in the suit.
A message left for ABC Corp. was not returned Thursday morning. A phone number for Robert Michael Huggins could not be located.
The underage teens were allowed to use Robert Michael Huggins’ home and property to consume “excessive” amounts of alcohol, the suit claims. Huggins allowed underage people to organize a gathering on his property while he was present and was drinking with the minors, the suit alleges.
Huggins, who was aware that the teens had been drinking the night of the crash, then allowed Chance Huggins to drive his vehicle while intoxicated, according to the suit. Huggins created a “risk of harm to others including Carson Hatcher” by being negligent, careless, reckless and failing to supervise the teens, the suit said.
ABC Corp. knowingly sold alcoholic beverages to people under 21, in violation of South Carolina law. The legal drinking age in South Carolina is 21. The alcohol from ABC contributed to the “gross” intoxication of Chance Huggins, the suit claims.
Chance Huggins owed a duty, while operating a vehicle, to exercise reasonable care to maintain control of his vehicle at all times and drive at a safe speed, as well as refrain from doing so in an intoxicated state, the suit says.
The suit is asking for damages greater than $100,000 and punitive damages as determined by a jury.
Hatcher was a member of the Waccamaw Indian People, and performed as a champion grass dancer. Tribe members gathered on the tribal grounds near Aynor on Sept. 20, 2025, to conduct a memorial fire ceremony in tribute to the young man.
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Chance Huggins was a junior at Green Sea Floyds High School and was looking forward to starting a new school year, his obituary said. He loved the outdoors, as well as his dogs, Molly, Max and Doodle Bug, the obituary said.
