Jasper Co. family calls for faster law enforcement response after crash in their yard

JASPER COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A Jasper County family is raising concerns about law enforcement response times after a driver crashed an SUV into their front yard early Tuesday morning, and they say it took nearly an hour for a trooper to arrive.

Victoria Hawley said she and her family were asleep when they were jolted awake by the sound of a crash outside their home.

She said she immediately called 911 and asked for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office to respond because the driver appeared impaired and was moving around their property.

According to Hawley, the driver got out of the SUV and asked the family not to call the police. While she remained on the phone with 911, Hawley said the man kept slurring his words and repeatedly returned to the vehicle, which was stuck in the yard.

She said the situation felt unsafe.

“Traffic accidents aren’t in our jurisdiction,” Hawley said she was told during the call. “I said this man is out of his vehicle and in our yard. This is a bit more than a traffic accident.”

Hawley said dispatch told her no deputies could be sent because they were handling other calls.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office typically does not respond to most vehicle collisions, which are handled by the South Carolina Highway Patrol on state and county roadways.

Hawley said she understands that policy, but believes this situation should have been treated differently.

“What if that man had turned around and shot my husband? Would it still not have been their problem?” she said.

Hawley said firefighters were the first to arrive. She said they tried to speak with the driver, but he walked back toward the SUV and then left the area, disappearing into nearby woods. It is not known whether the driver was later located or arrested.

South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to the crash about 44 minutes after receiving the call, according to Hawley. Troopers investigated and later had the SUV, which had a Georgia tag, towed from the yard.

Hawley said the crash is the latest in a string of incidents near their home.

She said three accidents have happened in the area since December, including one just before Christmas where a driver flipped into a ditch.

“We actually had to pull her from her vehicle,” Hawley said of that crash, adding that law enforcement took nearly two hours to arrive.

Hawley said she is now asking for a quicker response and additional support when residents report feeling threatened, especially in situations that go beyond a standard traffic collision.

“If you know state troopers are going to take a while, it doesn’t hurt to send an officer to check on your residents when they are telling you like this man is approaching your home under the influence,” Hawley said. She added that her husband stayed up afterward to make sure the driver did not return.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is reviewing the case.

Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to contact Highway Patrol by phone or email.