South Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog

Charleston child sexual abuse attorneys recently learned that a South Carolina charter school teacher was arrested and charged with having sex with a 15-year-old student high school student. The teacher allegedly had sex with his 15-year-old student in a wooded area near the school’s premises on March 20, 2010.

The teacher taught business and computer skills at Calhoun Falls Charter School. He was charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor and preforming a lewd act on a minor. He was arrested and charged after one of the young girl’s family members allegedly found conversations between him and the child. After discovering the conversations, the family member contacted police. Police investigated the conversations and then made the arrest.

The teacher is currently on administrative leave from Calhoun Falls Charter School while he awaits trial in Abbeville County’s jail. The young girl’s name has not been released in order to protect her privacy.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Charter school teacher arrested.” April 1, 2010.

All drivers, parents especially, need to check behind your car before reversing. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention after analyzing data reported that each week nearly 50 children are injured by cars reversing. On average two of these children will die due to injuries obtained in the accident. It has been found that in most of these accidents the person driving the car is a family member. Most new cars to day have a built in sensor on the back of the car that will alarm the driver if there is something behind the car when the car is shifted into reverse. Charleston child injury lawyers believe this is a wonderful feature to have on a car, but should not be solely relied on because many things are out of the sensor’s range.

Recently a 22-month-old boy was killed when he was accidently struck by an SUV. The driver of the SUV was the boy’s father. The father was backing his SUV down the driveway so he could wash the car. The boy and other children were playing in the garage and when the boy saw his father’s car reversing down the driveway he ran to the car. His father attempted to reach out of the drivers side door and grab his son. In doing so the father fell out of the car, leaving the car unattended. The child was fatally struck by the driver’s side front tire, causing massive head trauma. The unattended car then traveled across the street and struck a neighbor’s garage door before coming to a stop.

The boy was taken by ambulance to the Medical University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Charleston County Police responded to the scene, taped it off with yellow crime-scene tape, and preceded to conduct an investigation. The investigation is still pending but no charges have been filed. A similar accident happened in 2007 in Goose Creek, when a 4-year-old girl was fatally hit when her father was backing up his pickup truck in the family’s driveway. Drivers please double check your surroundings before backing up your car, these extra seconds can make a life or death difference in a child’s life.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Boy dies in accident as dad backs SUV.” April 2, 2010.

Charleston motorcycle accident attorneys want you to remember to wear a helmet when operating a motorcycle or riding a bike. Helmets may not be fashion forward but can make a life or death difference when stuck by a car or truck. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that a person driving a motorcycle without a helmet is 40 percent more likely to obtain a fatal head injury, opposed to motorcyclist wearing a helmet, and 15 percent more likely to incur a nonfatal head injury.

A 22-year-old man died Sunday, April 4th in McClellanville from injuries he received in a collision involving his motorcycle and a pick up truck. The accident was near the intersection of River Road and U.S. Highway 17 around 5 p.m. The motorcyclist crashed his bike into the back of the pick up truck and was not wearing a helmet Lt. Martin Fields of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The pick up truck driver was taken to the hospital but was later released after being treated for minor injuries. The motorcyclist, who’s name has not been released yet because authorities have not been able to contact family members, was from Surfside Beach and was pronounced dead a the scene of the accident.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Motorcyclist dies after hitting truck.” April 5, 2010.

Charleston automobile accident lawyers have learned of a fatal accident that recently occurred. On Wednesday, March 17, a woman was killed in a car-truck accident in Berkeley County. The woman, a 43-year-old from Bonneau, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by Berkeley county Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Salisbury.

She was driving a 2010 Kia Soul when she crossed over into oncoming traffic and collided with a Ford F-450 utility truck. The fatal accident occurred around 2:10 p.m. on Cainhoy Road. The deceased woman was traveling eastbound and the F-450 was traveling in the westbound lane, separated by a center lane. Her car crossed the center lane and entered the westbound lane, colliding with the F-450 head-on.

After the collision with the truck the woman was trapped in her car until the South Carolina Highway Patrol and rescue team arrived. She had to be extricated from her car and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the F-450 was suffered no injuries. Both drivers were wearing seat belts, South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Bob Beres reported when describing the accident. The accident is now under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Woman killed in car-truck collision.” March 18, 2010.