Patrol officer accused of running over, killing woman on beach retires, department says

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF/Gray News) – A beach patrol officer in South Carolina accused of running over and killing a woman on the beach has retired.

WMBF reported that the Horry County Public Safety Committee agenda for Tuesday shows there is a resolution to declare LCpl. Julian “Duke” Brown’s service weapon as surplus property and to make it available to him after his retirement.

WMBF also reached out to the Horry County Police Department, which confirmed Brown retired on July 26.

In June, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said Brown was driving a Horry County Police pickup truck when he struck 66-year-old Sandy Schultz-Peters on the beach.

Troopers said Brown was coming onto the beach from the Nash Street beach access near Springmaid Pier, when he turned onto the sand and hit Schultz-Peters.

According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim’s family, Brown chose to drive on the beach without checking for people or objects in the way first.

When Brown ran over Schultz-Peters, witnesses said the woman became trapped under the truck for several minutes.

The witnesses helped to get the truck off her, and she died later that afternoon.

As the Horry County Police Department’s beach safety director, Brown should be the most knowledgeable person on beach safety within the agency, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also mentioned that Brown ran over a person’s items on the beach before the accident involving Schultz-Peters.

Brown was placed on administrative leave following the crash.

Brown had been with the department since 1988, and served as the beach safety director for his whole career.

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