The troubled mayor of a little town in South Carolina was killed in a car crash earlier this week, just days after the city’s entire police force quit.
The State newspaper (based in Columbia) reported that 49-year-old McColl Mayor George Garner II died Tuesday after crashing into an 18-wheeler truck. Garner was reportedly driving west in a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe when he moved into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with the vehicle.
Earlier this month, Garner won re-election in the town of roughly 2,000 residents.
Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee revealed the accident occurred on S.C. 34 in Mechanicsville at about 2:40 p.m. and stated that Marlboro County deputies were pursuing Garner before the crash occurred.
He claimed the pursuit was to “protect” Garner’s “well-being.”
“When the incident occurred, Mr. Garner was being pursued by a Marlboro County deputy,” Hardee said in a press release. “The pursuit was not related to any laws being broken. The pursuit was taking place in an effort to protect the well-being of Mr. Garner.”
WBTW reported that Garner died at McLeod Regional Medical Center from his injuries. The truck driver was also hurt.
Before his death, Garner was connected to an active South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigation, which SLED’s Public Information Officer Renee Wunderlich described as “active and ongoing.” She refused to provide further details.
Last week, Police Chief Bob Hale and the four officers who served under Garner’s administration quit in anger late last week. In a Facebook post on Nov. 21, Police Chief Bob Hale said he and his officers had encountered “unwanted and malicious behavior” from Garner and the City Council.
Hale said the City Council refused to provide the funding necessary to update the police department’s equipment and he was subject to “repeated acts of harassment” and personal attacks on his character.
“Despite our efforts to address these issues professionally and through appropriate channels, the harassment and hostility have persisted,” Hale said.
Garner brushed off the resignations and said the town would move on and hire more officers.
“I hate to see them go. They were a great group. But we’re gonna continue on,” Garner stated.
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