BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–In a report by WCSC-TV, the insurance settlement for a crash involving former Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt totals more than $161,000.
According to the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, the insurance settlement was $12,221 for property damage and $149,000 for bodily injury, for a total of $161,221.
According to South Carolina Highway Patrol, on December 24, 2014, DeWitt hit another vehicle, fled the scene and then led officers on a high speed chase traveling more than 100 miles per hour.
In February 2015, a grand jury indicted DeWitt for DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to stop for blue lights.
Just a few days before the indictment, the longtime sheriff resigned from office.
“In the end, I know and understand the entire situation is the product of my own failures. As an elected official, as Sheriff and as a person, I recognize that I must be held accountable,” he stated. “I reiterate how sorry I am for my actions and the poor choices I made.”
DeWitt had served as the county’s sheriff since 1995. Berkeley County voters elected its new sheriff, Duane Lewis, on June 9, 2015.
