Alleged drunk driver steals truck, crashes into bar

A 26-year-old South Carolina man is facing larceny and property damage charges after allegedly stealing a truck from a bar parking lot, crashing it into the establishment and fleeing the scene on Jan. 17. The incident happened at Easy’s Bar & Grill in Galivants Ferry off Highway 101 near Aynor.

According to the Horry County Police Department, officers were dispatched to the bar at approximately 10 p.m. after receiving reports that a truck smashed into the building. A bar patron, a 55-year-old Marion man, told police he had left his keys in his truck while he went inside to eat. He and other customers then heard a loud bang, went outside to investigate and found that an allegedly intoxicated man had stolen his truck and hit the building with it. The man is said to have hit the building a second time before crashing into a parked car. He then got out of the truck and fled on foot into a nearby wooded area. Officers followed his tracks and apprehended him on Floyd Page Road.

The defendant, a Galivants Ferry resident, was booked at J. Reuben Long Detention Center and charged with grand larceny with a value of $10,000 or more and two counts of malicious damage to personal property. His bail was set at $15,000.

Individuals charged with a drunk driving accident may wish to enlist a criminal defense attorney to represent them in court. An attorney could review the details of the case and recommend legal defense strategies that could lead to a reduction of charges. One possible strategy could be to negotiate with prosecutors for a plea deal in which the charges are reduced in exchange for a guilty plea.

Source: WMBF, “HCPD: Witnesses say drunk man stole truck from bar parking lot, crashed it into building,” Mandy Noell, Jan. 19, 2015

Source: scnow.com, “Police called after truck slams into bar near Aynor,” Tonya Root, Jan. 20, 2015