Sumter Sheriff’s Deputy Was Speeding in Fatal Crash

February 11, 2011 - The South Carolina Highway Patrol released a report on Wednesday concerning a fatal car accident that occurred in December. According to a report at Live 5 News, the Highway Patrol concluded that an off-duty sheriff's deputy was speeding when he crashed into another vehicle.

The deputy, who works for the Sumter County Sheriff's Department, was not on duty at the time of the fatal car accident. He was speeding down Wedgefield Highway in Sumter when he crashed into a car at the intersection with Pitts Road. The driver of the other vehicle, a teenage girl, was pronounced dead the next day.

The Highway Patrol concluded that the deputy was going nearly 60 miles per hour on a street where the posted speed limit is 40 miles per hour. However, the report also states that the teenage driver should not have pulled into the intersection when the deputy's vehicle was so close. The report concludes by stating that the deputy did not have time to stop and should not face criminal charges.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is also advising that the intersection of Pitts Road and Wedgefield Highway be renovated to remove visual obstructions, including a fence and hedge. The Sumter County Sheriff's Department is still conducting their own internal investigation.