Former CCU football player accused of killing pedestrian while DUI in Horry County
A pedestrian died after being hit by a suspected drunk driver, police say.
The crash happened around 1 a.m. Saturday on S.C. Highway 544 near Cabots Creek Drive, South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. Sonny Collins said.
A 2001 Ford truck was in the median helping another vehicle, Collins said.
A 2002 GMC truck - driven by Riley Patton - ran off into the median and hit the Ford truck, Collins said. Patton then hit a pedestrian outside of the truck.
The pedestrian died in the collision, Collins said. It’s unclear if the pedestrian was the Good Samaritan. The Horry County Coroner’s Office has not identified the victim.
Patton drove about two miles to Peachtree grocery where he was arrested, Collins said.
Police charged Patton, 23, with felony DUI with death and leaving the scene of an accident with death. Patton faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted.
Patton, a former Coastal Carolina long snapper with the football team and a current CCU student, is being held in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center without bond.
This story was originally published January 25, 2020 at 9:07 AM.
