Horry County reaches settlement with estates of women who drowned in sheriff’s van
Horry County has reached a settlement with the estates of two women who drowned in the back of a flooded Horry County Sheriff’s Office van after Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Wendy Newton and Nicolette Green drowned in the back of an Horry County Sheriff’s Office van Sept. 18, 2018 after deputies drove the vehicle through floodwaters.
The sheriff’s deputies who drove the van — Stephen Flood and Joshua Bishop — escaped, leaving Green and Newton to drown in a caged compartment of the flooded van. Flood and Bishop were fired from the Horry County Sheriff’s Office and charged criminally.
Tuesday, the estates of Newton and Green, who was also known as Nicolette French, reached a settlement agreement resolving the claims against Horry County regarding the women’s deaths, according to a news release.
The women were being transported via an Horry County Sheriff’s Office van to mental health facilities when they drowned in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Green suffered from schizophrenia and depression, her family told The Sun News in 2018.
“Horry County regrets and acknowledges these tragic deaths, and changes have been implemented to better protect the safety of mental health patients in Horry County. These changes will help ensure that mental health patients are transported in a more safe and responsible manner,” the press release states.
“Horry County extends its sincere condolences to the families of Ms. Newton and Ms. Green. As part of the resolution of all pending claims involving Horry County, Horry County’s sincere hope is that the families of Ms. Newton and Ms. Green will experience some sense of closure to their grief.”
The details of the settlement were not immediately available Tuesday afternoon.
Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement agreement from The Sun News on Tuesday in time for publication. Horry County spokesperson Kelly Moore also did not respond to questions seeking details about what changes the county has made following the settlement.
Last week, Horry County Circuit Court Judge Michael G. Nettles ordered American Aluminum Accessories to pay $1 million to Linda Green, who represents Nicolette Green’s estate. American Aluminum Accessories, Inc. is the manufacturer of the caged compartment installed in the back of the sheriff’s office van, in which Green and Newton drowned.
Linda Green, on behalf of Nicolette Green’s estate, is also suing the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Phillip Thompson, Sgt. Elizabeth Orlando and the two former deputies who drove the van Green and Newton drowned in — Flood and Bishop.
This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 3:59 PM.
