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George Garner

Gender : Male

Age : 49

Race : White

Date : 11/26/2024

Location : Cashua Ferry Road

City : Darlington

County : Darlington

State : South Carolina

Agency : South Carolina Highway Patrol, Marlboro County Sheriff's Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 11/26/2024, around 2:40 p.m., Marlboro County deputies initiated a pursuit after the mayor of McColl, SC, George Garner which allegedly intended to "ensure Garner’s safety" (not otherwise specified) as part of a wellness check. The wellness check escalated to high speeds, with the South Carolina Highway Patrol joining in. Mayor Garner, driving a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe westbound on Cashua Ferry Road, swerved into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with an 18-wheeler. Authorities confirmed this was not related to criminal activity, but no specific reasons for enforcing the dangerous "wellness check" were provided. Garner was critically injured and taken to McLeod Regional Medical Center where he died. The condition of the 18-wheeler driver remains unknown. The South Carolina Highway Patrol's multi-disciplinary accident team is investigating the incident. Police stated that the pursuit was not related to any criminal activity with all further details being withheld by police. A spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed that the investigation is still active. The mayor had been under an unspecified "active investigation" by SLED prior to the crash. SLED was one of the participating law enforcement agencies who participated in the fatal pursuit.
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This fatal incident follows a series of highly tense and controversies in McColl, including the resignation of the town's entire police force on the same day due to significant tension between police and city administration. Five days after the stressful mass resignation of police, the Marlborough County Sheriff’s Office was appointed as replacement. This same law enforcement agency days later was in charge of escalating the fatal pursuit of the mayor. It is unknown at this time whether any of these events were connected.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wbtw.com/news/local-news/darlington-county-news/mccoll-mayor-george-garner-dies-in-two-vehicle-crash-while-being-pursued-by-deputy/
Last update: 11/27/2024.
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Police force quits:
https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2024-11-25/entire-mccoll-police-department-resigns-marlboro-county-sheriffs-office-will-police-the-town#

Prior investigation:
https://www.giant.fm/fulton-county/news/local-news/officers-involved-in-shooting-identified/